FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (26th APRIL - 2nd MAY 1971)
This week's stories include the robbery of Moss Bank Labour Club's takings, the man accused of ruining 20,000 bottles at UGB, the silent army of kind St Helens schoolchildren, the opening of Sherdley Primary School and the campaigning mothers of Rainhill who blocked the motorists mad mile.
We begin during the evening of the 26th when a cheque for £1,000 was presented at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street. The gift came from the National Association of Ladies Circles and went to Sefton General Hospital's kidney unit. The Fleece had fifteen more years to go before closing – having been built in 1931 to replace the original inn.
At midnight during that same evening, Edwin Price, the treasurer of Moss Bank Labour Club, was making his way home. Suddenly two men waylaid the 71-year-old, pushed him into a front garden, jumped on him and then robbed Mr Price of his leather briefcase containing £500. The pair was then seen by witnesses to jump into a getaway car and drive off without lights. There'll be more on this story in a fortnight when the culprits are brought to book.
Also on the the 26th Councillor Eric Kerr, the Mayor of St Helens, presented book tokens to thirteen children who gave up their spare time to help old people and visit hospital patients. During the ceremony at the Town Hall, the mayor said: "Children who win sports trophies receive praise and are given awards. But these youngsters are a silent army. They help others and the public rarely hear of their good deeds. When on official hospital visits I have noticed many children helping out. I think they deserve something in recognition of their services to others."
All thirteen secondary schools in St Helens nominated one pupil, who in the view of either of the teachers or pupils had given outstanding service to others throughout the year. Those who received the awards were Maureen Briscoe (Central Modern School); Fiona Finney (Parr); Glenn Slater (Rivington); Janet Millar (Robins Lane); Donald Baker (Grange Park); John A. Bentham (Cowley Boys); Susan Barrett (Cowley Girls); Gillian Lowe (Parr Mount C.E.); Michael O’Donnell (Blessed Edmund Campion); Bernadette Harrison (St. Alban’s RC); Pauline Johnstone (Our Lady of Mount Carmel); Valerie Brown (St. Anselm’s) and Susan Blackwell (St Cuthbert's RC).
Throughout the week Agatha Christie's thriller 'Witness for the Prosecution' was presented at the Theatre Royal. Members of the audience served as the jury in a court case and were swayed for and against the charming young man accused of murdering a rich old lady.
On the 27th Alderman William Burrows, the chairman of St Helens Education Committee, opened Sherdley County Primary School in Mill Lane in Sutton. It is rather appropriate that teaching continues on the site as the school playing fields once housed Sutton Workhouse. Basic instruction of pauper children took place there and since the workhouse's closure in 1843, the building served as the first Sutton National School before it relocated to Ellamsbridge Road. I'm told that Sherdley School had 700 pupils in its early days with three form entry and had to use temporary classrooms until more accommodation could be provided.
During the evening of the 27th pram-pushing mothers at Rainhill brought traffic to a halt on Warrington Road near the Ship Hotel. They wanted the speed limit reduced from 40 to 30 mph after a six-year-old girl had received fatal injuries on that stretch of road. Traffic was also halted for more than half-an-hour on the following night but police had learned of the demonstration in advance and diverted traffic along Mill Lane.
This was a long-running issue that I first mentioned over two years ago when I referred to a Rainhill Parish Council meeting held on December 9th 1968: "The council also discussed a petition signed by 972 Rainhill residents who were concerned about safety on Warrington Road. Their clerk, W. H. Baldwin, said Whiston Road Safety Committee would discuss the matter at length at their next meeting. The recommendations that the committee would consider included a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph from The Holt to Norlands Lane and the addition of school crossing patrols."
However progress had been slow and there had clearly been more than just one petition handed to the authorities by concerned parents. Teresa Edwards of Fairlie Drive told the Liverpool Echo: "We intend doing this nearly every day until something is done. Six months ago, we sent a petition to Whiston Council, calling for a 30 m.p.h. limit and flashing warning lights, but nothing has been done." Lollipop lady Harriet Devereux said: "This is the mad mile. I am very frightened for the children."
Another of the demonstrators, who has four young children, told the paper: "We want the speed limit reduced to 30 m.p.h. within 24 hours. We have been told that the procedure for lowering speed limits takes a long time, but we will not accept this. It does not take long to paint a sign saying 30 m.p.h. The police tried to dissuade us from blocking the road, but we intend to go on demonstrating until something definite is done."
It used to be quite common for employers to prosecute their workers for all kinds of minor offences – including simply not turning up to work. By the 1970s such prosecutions were rare but St Helens bottlemakers UGB felt the offence committed by Fred Litherland deserved a court hearing. So the 22-year-old from Huntley Grove in Sutton appeared before the magistrates on the 28th accused of ruining 20,000 bottles. However you have to feel sorry for Fred who had simply been having a rotten day and simply cracked under stress – as he explained to the court:
"I had a fearful row at home that night and when I went on night shift the foreman kept giving me more work than I could cope with. It all built up inside me and on the spur of the moment I turned off the power." The Bench appeared to show some sympathy for Fred as they gave him a conditional discharge but ordered the young man to repay the cost of the damaged bottles. That came to £78 and Fred had a problem in finding the cash as UGB had sacked him. However he promised the Bench that he would pay the compensation demanded once he obtained another job.
This week the first full year's statistics on the operation of the Abortion Act of 1967 were released. There had been 49 abortions legally carried out in St Helens in 1969, of which 20 were on single women, 26 were married and 3 females were listed as "others". As to age, one person was under 16, nine aged 16 - 19, twenty-eight aged 20 - 34 and ten aged 35 - 44.
The sixth annual Rugby League Sevens competition took place on the 28th at St Alban's school in Washway Lane in Haresfinch. Sixteen teams competed – mainly from the St Helens district – but with a few teams from nearby towns like Warrington and Widnes. In the semi-finals Central Modern beat Parr Secondary and Bedford County of Leigh knocked out St Aelred's of Newton. In the final of the competition, Central convincingly beat Bedford 28 - 5 and Saints forward John Mantle presented Central with the winners' shield. Both teams are pictured above.
Although one newspaper felt the Leigh side had been disadvantaged by having to play the first semi-final and then stand about to watch the second: "The wait around in the cold blustery weather stiffened the Bedford joints, and virtually they were out of the final before they had warmed to the task." The winning Central Modern team comprised B. Pickavance, A. Ratcliffe, N. Conley, K. Croston, S. Ford, N. Walters, M. Finch, R. Saxon and D. Hudson. Alan Simpson of Grange Park and Neil Walters of Central received book tokens for scoring the highest number of tries and most goals, respectively. W. Sephton of Duke Street printed the programme for the competition and the advertisers included Clock Face Crisps, Carr Mill Hotel, Fingerpost Hotel and Fosters Hardware Stores in Moss Bank.
The Liverpool Echo wrote on the 28th that part of a new £75,000 shopping centre in St Helens was nearing completion. The quarter-acre site in Barrow Street comprised eight, 3-storey buildings containing shops with offices above. A service road was going to be constructed off Claughton Street to enable delivery vehicles to gain access to land at the rear of Cotham Street and Barrow Street.
On the 30th the Echo profiled Lynda Andrews of Lathom Drive in Rainford who twelve months to the day had given birth to triplets. Not only had she been the first mother to have triplets in Rainford but they were also the first threesome to be born at the new maternity block at Fazakerley Hospital. Last year Lynda had told the St Helens Reporter: "It really is terrible. They all start howling at once at feeding time. All I wanted was one baby, but I wouldn't swap them for the world now."
The Echo pictured the three toddlers and in their article wrote: "There's never a dull moment at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Andrews of Rainford, since their triplets came along. "Helen, who weighed in at 4lb. 5ozs. at birth, is the quiet one, while Keith (born 4lb. 9ozs.) and Paul (born 3lb. 15 ozs.) are identical, and set the pace around the house."
On May 1st thieves broke into a van on the Ring Road car park in St Helens and stole large quantities of booze – including a dozen bottles of brandy and a dozen bottles of whisky. Within the space of 45-minutes, a lorry parked at the rear of Elephant Lane in Thatto Heath was also broken into and two toolboxes containing £100 worth of tools were taken.
And finally this week the Liverpool Echo profiled Ness (short for Agnes) Shankly, the wife of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly. I doubt that Jürgen Klopp goes to Blackpool for his summer holidays but Bill and Ness spent a week at the seaside each year – as well as seven days in Scotland! Klopp also lives in a big house in Formby with seven bedrooms that the club bought off Brendan Rodgers for his family to live in. But Bill and Ness had to buy their own place when they moved to Liverpool in 1960 and lived in a semi-detached house. And there was clearly nothing in the way of security surrounding their simple home.
The club was due to play Arsenal in the FA Cup Final next week and Ness was being inundated with fans wanting tickets. The article described how the postman was delivering 100 letters every day and ticket-hunters were regularly calling at the door and telephoning her. Mrs Shankly came across in the interview as a lovely, unassuming person and when asked why she didn't go to watch Liverpool play at Anfield, she replied: "I have always felt it would be unfair for me to occupy a seat that would otherwise go to a fan." Ness also revealed that she was a big supporter of Rainhill Amateur Dramatic Society.
Next week's stories will include the miracle child of Eldon Street, a Whiston man leaps from his bedroom to avoid a fire, a POW reunion with a star at the Theatre Royal and the day Dickie Valentine entertained a patient at Rainhill Hospital.
We begin during the evening of the 26th when a cheque for £1,000 was presented at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street. The gift came from the National Association of Ladies Circles and went to Sefton General Hospital's kidney unit. The Fleece had fifteen more years to go before closing – having been built in 1931 to replace the original inn.
At midnight during that same evening, Edwin Price, the treasurer of Moss Bank Labour Club, was making his way home. Suddenly two men waylaid the 71-year-old, pushed him into a front garden, jumped on him and then robbed Mr Price of his leather briefcase containing £500. The pair was then seen by witnesses to jump into a getaway car and drive off without lights. There'll be more on this story in a fortnight when the culprits are brought to book.
Also on the the 26th Councillor Eric Kerr, the Mayor of St Helens, presented book tokens to thirteen children who gave up their spare time to help old people and visit hospital patients. During the ceremony at the Town Hall, the mayor said: "Children who win sports trophies receive praise and are given awards. But these youngsters are a silent army. They help others and the public rarely hear of their good deeds. When on official hospital visits I have noticed many children helping out. I think they deserve something in recognition of their services to others."
All thirteen secondary schools in St Helens nominated one pupil, who in the view of either of the teachers or pupils had given outstanding service to others throughout the year. Those who received the awards were Maureen Briscoe (Central Modern School); Fiona Finney (Parr); Glenn Slater (Rivington); Janet Millar (Robins Lane); Donald Baker (Grange Park); John A. Bentham (Cowley Boys); Susan Barrett (Cowley Girls); Gillian Lowe (Parr Mount C.E.); Michael O’Donnell (Blessed Edmund Campion); Bernadette Harrison (St. Alban’s RC); Pauline Johnstone (Our Lady of Mount Carmel); Valerie Brown (St. Anselm’s) and Susan Blackwell (St Cuthbert's RC).
Throughout the week Agatha Christie's thriller 'Witness for the Prosecution' was presented at the Theatre Royal. Members of the audience served as the jury in a court case and were swayed for and against the charming young man accused of murdering a rich old lady.
On the 27th Alderman William Burrows, the chairman of St Helens Education Committee, opened Sherdley County Primary School in Mill Lane in Sutton. It is rather appropriate that teaching continues on the site as the school playing fields once housed Sutton Workhouse. Basic instruction of pauper children took place there and since the workhouse's closure in 1843, the building served as the first Sutton National School before it relocated to Ellamsbridge Road. I'm told that Sherdley School had 700 pupils in its early days with three form entry and had to use temporary classrooms until more accommodation could be provided.
During the evening of the 27th pram-pushing mothers at Rainhill brought traffic to a halt on Warrington Road near the Ship Hotel. They wanted the speed limit reduced from 40 to 30 mph after a six-year-old girl had received fatal injuries on that stretch of road. Traffic was also halted for more than half-an-hour on the following night but police had learned of the demonstration in advance and diverted traffic along Mill Lane.
This was a long-running issue that I first mentioned over two years ago when I referred to a Rainhill Parish Council meeting held on December 9th 1968: "The council also discussed a petition signed by 972 Rainhill residents who were concerned about safety on Warrington Road. Their clerk, W. H. Baldwin, said Whiston Road Safety Committee would discuss the matter at length at their next meeting. The recommendations that the committee would consider included a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph from The Holt to Norlands Lane and the addition of school crossing patrols."
However progress had been slow and there had clearly been more than just one petition handed to the authorities by concerned parents. Teresa Edwards of Fairlie Drive told the Liverpool Echo: "We intend doing this nearly every day until something is done. Six months ago, we sent a petition to Whiston Council, calling for a 30 m.p.h. limit and flashing warning lights, but nothing has been done." Lollipop lady Harriet Devereux said: "This is the mad mile. I am very frightened for the children."
Another of the demonstrators, who has four young children, told the paper: "We want the speed limit reduced to 30 m.p.h. within 24 hours. We have been told that the procedure for lowering speed limits takes a long time, but we will not accept this. It does not take long to paint a sign saying 30 m.p.h. The police tried to dissuade us from blocking the road, but we intend to go on demonstrating until something definite is done."
It used to be quite common for employers to prosecute their workers for all kinds of minor offences – including simply not turning up to work. By the 1970s such prosecutions were rare but St Helens bottlemakers UGB felt the offence committed by Fred Litherland deserved a court hearing. So the 22-year-old from Huntley Grove in Sutton appeared before the magistrates on the 28th accused of ruining 20,000 bottles. However you have to feel sorry for Fred who had simply been having a rotten day and simply cracked under stress – as he explained to the court:
"I had a fearful row at home that night and when I went on night shift the foreman kept giving me more work than I could cope with. It all built up inside me and on the spur of the moment I turned off the power." The Bench appeared to show some sympathy for Fred as they gave him a conditional discharge but ordered the young man to repay the cost of the damaged bottles. That came to £78 and Fred had a problem in finding the cash as UGB had sacked him. However he promised the Bench that he would pay the compensation demanded once he obtained another job.
This week the first full year's statistics on the operation of the Abortion Act of 1967 were released. There had been 49 abortions legally carried out in St Helens in 1969, of which 20 were on single women, 26 were married and 3 females were listed as "others". As to age, one person was under 16, nine aged 16 - 19, twenty-eight aged 20 - 34 and ten aged 35 - 44.
Although one newspaper felt the Leigh side had been disadvantaged by having to play the first semi-final and then stand about to watch the second: "The wait around in the cold blustery weather stiffened the Bedford joints, and virtually they were out of the final before they had warmed to the task." The winning Central Modern team comprised B. Pickavance, A. Ratcliffe, N. Conley, K. Croston, S. Ford, N. Walters, M. Finch, R. Saxon and D. Hudson. Alan Simpson of Grange Park and Neil Walters of Central received book tokens for scoring the highest number of tries and most goals, respectively. W. Sephton of Duke Street printed the programme for the competition and the advertisers included Clock Face Crisps, Carr Mill Hotel, Fingerpost Hotel and Fosters Hardware Stores in Moss Bank.
The Liverpool Echo wrote on the 28th that part of a new £75,000 shopping centre in St Helens was nearing completion. The quarter-acre site in Barrow Street comprised eight, 3-storey buildings containing shops with offices above. A service road was going to be constructed off Claughton Street to enable delivery vehicles to gain access to land at the rear of Cotham Street and Barrow Street.
On the 30th the Echo profiled Lynda Andrews of Lathom Drive in Rainford who twelve months to the day had given birth to triplets. Not only had she been the first mother to have triplets in Rainford but they were also the first threesome to be born at the new maternity block at Fazakerley Hospital. Last year Lynda had told the St Helens Reporter: "It really is terrible. They all start howling at once at feeding time. All I wanted was one baby, but I wouldn't swap them for the world now."
The Echo pictured the three toddlers and in their article wrote: "There's never a dull moment at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Andrews of Rainford, since their triplets came along. "Helen, who weighed in at 4lb. 5ozs. at birth, is the quiet one, while Keith (born 4lb. 9ozs.) and Paul (born 3lb. 15 ozs.) are identical, and set the pace around the house."
On May 1st thieves broke into a van on the Ring Road car park in St Helens and stole large quantities of booze – including a dozen bottles of brandy and a dozen bottles of whisky. Within the space of 45-minutes, a lorry parked at the rear of Elephant Lane in Thatto Heath was also broken into and two toolboxes containing £100 worth of tools were taken.
And finally this week the Liverpool Echo profiled Ness (short for Agnes) Shankly, the wife of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly. I doubt that Jürgen Klopp goes to Blackpool for his summer holidays but Bill and Ness spent a week at the seaside each year – as well as seven days in Scotland! Klopp also lives in a big house in Formby with seven bedrooms that the club bought off Brendan Rodgers for his family to live in. But Bill and Ness had to buy their own place when they moved to Liverpool in 1960 and lived in a semi-detached house. And there was clearly nothing in the way of security surrounding their simple home.
The club was due to play Arsenal in the FA Cup Final next week and Ness was being inundated with fans wanting tickets. The article described how the postman was delivering 100 letters every day and ticket-hunters were regularly calling at the door and telephoning her. Mrs Shankly came across in the interview as a lovely, unassuming person and when asked why she didn't go to watch Liverpool play at Anfield, she replied: "I have always felt it would be unfair for me to occupy a seat that would otherwise go to a fan." Ness also revealed that she was a big supporter of Rainhill Amateur Dramatic Society.
Next week's stories will include the miracle child of Eldon Street, a Whiston man leaps from his bedroom to avoid a fire, a POW reunion with a star at the Theatre Royal and the day Dickie Valentine entertained a patient at Rainhill Hospital.
This week's stories include the robbery of Moss Bank Labour Club's takings, the man accused of ruining 20,000 bottles at UGB, the silent army of kind St Helens schoolchildren, the opening of Sherdley Primary School and the campaigning mothers of Rainhill who blocked the motorists mad mile.
We begin during the evening of the 26th when a cheque for £1,000 was presented at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street.
The gift came from the National Association of Ladies Circles and went to Sefton General Hospital's kidney unit.
The Fleece had fifteen more years to go before closing – having been built in 1931 to replace the original inn.
At midnight during that same evening, Edwin Price, the treasurer of Moss Bank Labour Club, was making his way home.
Suddenly two men waylaid the 71-year-old, pushed him into a front garden, jumped on him and then robbed Mr Price of his leather briefcase containing £500.
The pair was then seen by witnesses to jump into a getaway car and drive off without lights. There'll be more on this story in a fortnight when the culprits are brought to book.
Also on the the 26th Councillor Eric Kerr, the Mayor of St Helens, presented book tokens to thirteen children who gave up their spare time to help old people and visit hospital patients.
During the ceremony at the Town Hall, the mayor said:
"Children who win sports trophies receive praise and are given awards. But these youngsters are a silent army. They help others and the public rarely hear of their good deeds.
"When on official hospital visits I have noticed many children helping out. I think they deserve something in recognition of their services to others."
All thirteen secondary schools in St Helens nominated one pupil, who in the view of either of the teachers or pupils had given outstanding service to others throughout the year.
Those who received the awards were Maureen Briscoe (Central Modern School); Fiona Finney (Parr); Glenn Slater (Rivington); Janet Millar (Robins Lane); Donald Baker (Grange Park); John A. Bentham (Cowley Boys); Susan Barrett (Cowley Girls); Gillian Lowe (Parr Mount C.E.); Michael O’Donnell (Blessed Edmund Campion); Bernadette Harrison (St. Alban’s RC); Pauline Johnstone (Our Lady of Mount Carmel); Valerie Brown (St. Anselm’s) and Susan Blackwell (St Cuthbert's RC).
Throughout the week Agatha Christie's thriller 'Witness for the Prosecution' was presented at the Theatre Royal.
Members of the audience served as the jury in a court case and were swayed for and against the charming young man accused of murdering a rich old lady.
On the 27th Alderman William Burrows, the chairman of St Helens Education Committee, opened Sherdley County Primary School in Mill Lane in Sutton.
It is rather appropriate that teaching continues on the site as the school playing fields once housed Sutton Workhouse.
Basic instruction of pauper children took place there and since the workhouse's closure in 1843, the building served as the first Sutton National School before it relocated to Ellamsbridge Road.
I’m told that Sherdley School had 700 pupils in its early days with three form entry and had to use temporary classrooms until more accommodation could be provided.
During the evening of the 27th pram-pushing mothers at Rainhill brought traffic to a halt on Warrington Road near the Ship Hotel.
They wanted the speed limit reduced from 40 to 30 mph after a six-year-old girl had received fatal injuries on that stretch of road.
Traffic was also halted for more than half-an-hour on the following night but police had learned of the demonstration in advance and diverted traffic along Mill Lane.
This was a long-running issue that I first mentioned over two years ago when I referred to a Rainhill Parish Council meeting held on December 9th 1968:
"The council also discussed a petition signed by 972 Rainhill residents who were concerned about safety on Warrington Road. Their clerk, W. H. Baldwin, said Whiston Road Safety Committee would discuss the matter at length at their next meeting.
"The recommendations that the committee would consider included a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph from The Holt to Norlands Lane and the addition of school crossing patrols."
However progress had been slow and there had clearly been more than just one petition handed to the authorities by concerned parents.
Teresa Edwards of Fairlie Drive told the Liverpool Echo: "We intend doing this nearly every day until something is done. Six months ago, we sent a petition to Whiston Council, calling for a 30 m.p.h. limit and flashing warning lights, but nothing has been done."
Lollipop lady Harriet Devereux said: "This is the mad mile. I am very frightened for the children."
Another of the demonstrators, who has four young children, told the paper:
"We want the speed limit reduced to 30 m.p.h. within 24 hours. We have been told that the procedure for lowering speed limits takes a long time, but we will not accept this.
"It does not take long to paint a sign saying 30 m.p.h. The police tried to dissuade us from blocking the road, but we intend to go on demonstrating until something definite is done."
It used to be quite common for employers to prosecute their workers for all kinds of minor offences – including simply not turning up to work.
By the 1970s such prosecutions were rare but St Helens bottlemakers UGB felt the offence committed by Fred Litherland deserved a court hearing.
So the 22-year-old from Huntley Grove in Sutton appeared before the magistrates on the 28th accused of ruining 20,000 bottles.
However you have to feel sorry for Fred who had simply been having a rotten day and simply cracked under stress – as he explained to the court:
"I had a fearful row at home that night and when I went on night shift the foreman kept giving me more work than I could cope with. It all built up inside me and on the spur of the moment I turned off the power."
The Bench appeared to show some sympathy for Fred as they gave him a conditional discharge but ordered the young man to repay the cost of the damaged bottles.
That came to £78 and Fred had a problem in finding the cash as UGB had sacked him.
However he promised the Bench that he would pay the compensation demanded once he obtained another job.
This week the first full year's statistics on the operation of the Abortion Act of 1967 were released.
There had been 49 abortions legally carried out in St Helens in 1969, of which 20 were on single women, 26 were married and 3 females were listed as "others".
As to age, one person was under 16, nine aged 16 - 19, twenty-eight aged 20 - 34 and ten aged 35 - 44.
The sixth annual Rugby League Sevens competition took place on the 28th at St Alban's school in Washway Lane in Haresfinch.
Sixteen teams competed – mainly from the St Helens district – but with a few teams from nearby towns like Warrington and Widnes.
In the semi-finals Central Modern beat Parr Secondary and Bedford County of Leigh knocked out St Aelred's of Newton.
In the final of the competition, Central convincingly beat Bedford 28 - 5 and Saints forward John Mantle presented Central with the winners' shield. Both teams are pictured above.
Although one newspaper felt the Leigh side had been disadvantaged by having to play the first semi-final and then stand about to watch the second:
"The wait around in the cold blustery weather stiffened the Bedford joints, and virtually they were out of the final before they had warmed to the task."
The winning Central Modern team comprised B. Pickavance, A. Ratcliffe, N. Conley, K. Croston, S. Ford, N. Walters, M. Finch, R. Saxon and D. Hudson.
Alan Simpson of Grange Park and Neil Walters of Central received book tokens for scoring the highest number of tries and most goals, respectively.
W. Sephton of Duke Street printed the programme for the competition and the advertisers included Clock Face Crisps, Carr Mill Hotel, Fingerpost Hotel and Fosters Hardware Stores in Moss Bank.
The Liverpool Echo wrote on the 28th that part of a new £75,000 shopping centre in St Helens was nearing completion.
The quarter-acre site in Barrow Street comprised eight, 3-storey buildings containing shops with offices above.
A service road was going to be constructed off Claughton Street to enable delivery vehicles to gain access to land at the rear of Cotham Street and Barrow Street.
On the 30th the Echo profiled Lynda Andrews of Lathom Drive in Rainford who twelve months to the day had given birth to triplets.
Not only had she been the first mother to have triplets in Rainford but they were also the first threesome to be born at the new maternity block at Fazakerley Hospital.
Last year Lynda had told the St Helens Reporter: "It really is terrible. They all start howling at once at feeding time. All I wanted was one baby, but I wouldn't swap them for the world now."
The Echo pictured the three toddlers and in their article wrote: "There's never a dull moment at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Andrews of Rainford, since their triplets came along.
"Helen, who weighed in at 4lb. 5ozs. at birth, is the quiet one, while Keith (born 4lb. 9ozs.) and Paul (born 3lb. 15 ozs.) are identical, and set the pace around the house."
On May 1st thieves broke into a van on the Ring Road car park in St Helens and stole large quantities of booze – including a dozen bottles of brandy and a dozen bottles of whisky.
Within the space of 45-minutes, a lorry parked at the rear of Elephant Lane in Thatto Heath was also broken into and two toolboxes containing £100 worth of tools were taken.
And finally this week the Liverpool Echo profiled Ness (short for Agnes) Shankly, the wife of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly.
I doubt that Jürgen Klopp goes to Blackpool for his summer holidays but Bill and Ness spent a week at the seaside each year – as well as seven days in Scotland!
Klopp also lives in a big house in Formby with seven bedrooms that the club bought off Brendan Rodgers for his family to live in.
But Bill and Ness had to buy their own place when they moved to Liverpool in 1960 and lived in a semi-detached house.
And there was clearly nothing in the way of security surrounding their simple home.
The club was due to play Arsenal in the FA Cup Final next week and Ness was being inundated with fans wanting tickets.
The article described how the postman was delivering 100 letters every day and ticket-hunters were regularly calling at the door and telephoning her.
Mrs Shankly came across in the interview as a lovely, unassuming person and when asked why she didn't go to watch Liverpool play at Anfield, she replied:
"I have always felt it would be unfair for me to occupy a seat that would otherwise go to a fan."
Ness also revealed that she was a big supporter of Rainhill Amateur Dramatic Society.
Next week's stories will include the miracle child of Eldon Street, a Whiston man leaps from his bedroom to avoid a fire, a POW reunion with a star at the Theatre Royal and the day Dickie Valentine entertained a patient at Rainhill Hospital.
We begin during the evening of the 26th when a cheque for £1,000 was presented at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street.
The gift came from the National Association of Ladies Circles and went to Sefton General Hospital's kidney unit.
The Fleece had fifteen more years to go before closing – having been built in 1931 to replace the original inn.
At midnight during that same evening, Edwin Price, the treasurer of Moss Bank Labour Club, was making his way home.
Suddenly two men waylaid the 71-year-old, pushed him into a front garden, jumped on him and then robbed Mr Price of his leather briefcase containing £500.
The pair was then seen by witnesses to jump into a getaway car and drive off without lights. There'll be more on this story in a fortnight when the culprits are brought to book.
Also on the the 26th Councillor Eric Kerr, the Mayor of St Helens, presented book tokens to thirteen children who gave up their spare time to help old people and visit hospital patients.
During the ceremony at the Town Hall, the mayor said:
"Children who win sports trophies receive praise and are given awards. But these youngsters are a silent army. They help others and the public rarely hear of their good deeds.
"When on official hospital visits I have noticed many children helping out. I think they deserve something in recognition of their services to others."
All thirteen secondary schools in St Helens nominated one pupil, who in the view of either of the teachers or pupils had given outstanding service to others throughout the year.
Those who received the awards were Maureen Briscoe (Central Modern School); Fiona Finney (Parr); Glenn Slater (Rivington); Janet Millar (Robins Lane); Donald Baker (Grange Park); John A. Bentham (Cowley Boys); Susan Barrett (Cowley Girls); Gillian Lowe (Parr Mount C.E.); Michael O’Donnell (Blessed Edmund Campion); Bernadette Harrison (St. Alban’s RC); Pauline Johnstone (Our Lady of Mount Carmel); Valerie Brown (St. Anselm’s) and Susan Blackwell (St Cuthbert's RC).
Throughout the week Agatha Christie's thriller 'Witness for the Prosecution' was presented at the Theatre Royal.
Members of the audience served as the jury in a court case and were swayed for and against the charming young man accused of murdering a rich old lady.
On the 27th Alderman William Burrows, the chairman of St Helens Education Committee, opened Sherdley County Primary School in Mill Lane in Sutton.
It is rather appropriate that teaching continues on the site as the school playing fields once housed Sutton Workhouse.
Basic instruction of pauper children took place there and since the workhouse's closure in 1843, the building served as the first Sutton National School before it relocated to Ellamsbridge Road.
I’m told that Sherdley School had 700 pupils in its early days with three form entry and had to use temporary classrooms until more accommodation could be provided.
During the evening of the 27th pram-pushing mothers at Rainhill brought traffic to a halt on Warrington Road near the Ship Hotel.
They wanted the speed limit reduced from 40 to 30 mph after a six-year-old girl had received fatal injuries on that stretch of road.
Traffic was also halted for more than half-an-hour on the following night but police had learned of the demonstration in advance and diverted traffic along Mill Lane.
This was a long-running issue that I first mentioned over two years ago when I referred to a Rainhill Parish Council meeting held on December 9th 1968:
"The council also discussed a petition signed by 972 Rainhill residents who were concerned about safety on Warrington Road. Their clerk, W. H. Baldwin, said Whiston Road Safety Committee would discuss the matter at length at their next meeting.
"The recommendations that the committee would consider included a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph from The Holt to Norlands Lane and the addition of school crossing patrols."
However progress had been slow and there had clearly been more than just one petition handed to the authorities by concerned parents.
Teresa Edwards of Fairlie Drive told the Liverpool Echo: "We intend doing this nearly every day until something is done. Six months ago, we sent a petition to Whiston Council, calling for a 30 m.p.h. limit and flashing warning lights, but nothing has been done."
Lollipop lady Harriet Devereux said: "This is the mad mile. I am very frightened for the children."
Another of the demonstrators, who has four young children, told the paper:
"We want the speed limit reduced to 30 m.p.h. within 24 hours. We have been told that the procedure for lowering speed limits takes a long time, but we will not accept this.
"It does not take long to paint a sign saying 30 m.p.h. The police tried to dissuade us from blocking the road, but we intend to go on demonstrating until something definite is done."
It used to be quite common for employers to prosecute their workers for all kinds of minor offences – including simply not turning up to work.
By the 1970s such prosecutions were rare but St Helens bottlemakers UGB felt the offence committed by Fred Litherland deserved a court hearing.
So the 22-year-old from Huntley Grove in Sutton appeared before the magistrates on the 28th accused of ruining 20,000 bottles.
However you have to feel sorry for Fred who had simply been having a rotten day and simply cracked under stress – as he explained to the court:
"I had a fearful row at home that night and when I went on night shift the foreman kept giving me more work than I could cope with. It all built up inside me and on the spur of the moment I turned off the power."
The Bench appeared to show some sympathy for Fred as they gave him a conditional discharge but ordered the young man to repay the cost of the damaged bottles.
That came to £78 and Fred had a problem in finding the cash as UGB had sacked him.
However he promised the Bench that he would pay the compensation demanded once he obtained another job.
This week the first full year's statistics on the operation of the Abortion Act of 1967 were released.
There had been 49 abortions legally carried out in St Helens in 1969, of which 20 were on single women, 26 were married and 3 females were listed as "others".
As to age, one person was under 16, nine aged 16 - 19, twenty-eight aged 20 - 34 and ten aged 35 - 44.
The sixth annual Rugby League Sevens competition took place on the 28th at St Alban's school in Washway Lane in Haresfinch.
Sixteen teams competed – mainly from the St Helens district – but with a few teams from nearby towns like Warrington and Widnes.
In the semi-finals Central Modern beat Parr Secondary and Bedford County of Leigh knocked out St Aelred's of Newton.
Although one newspaper felt the Leigh side had been disadvantaged by having to play the first semi-final and then stand about to watch the second:
"The wait around in the cold blustery weather stiffened the Bedford joints, and virtually they were out of the final before they had warmed to the task."
The winning Central Modern team comprised B. Pickavance, A. Ratcliffe, N. Conley, K. Croston, S. Ford, N. Walters, M. Finch, R. Saxon and D. Hudson.
Alan Simpson of Grange Park and Neil Walters of Central received book tokens for scoring the highest number of tries and most goals, respectively.
W. Sephton of Duke Street printed the programme for the competition and the advertisers included Clock Face Crisps, Carr Mill Hotel, Fingerpost Hotel and Fosters Hardware Stores in Moss Bank.
The Liverpool Echo wrote on the 28th that part of a new £75,000 shopping centre in St Helens was nearing completion.
The quarter-acre site in Barrow Street comprised eight, 3-storey buildings containing shops with offices above.
A service road was going to be constructed off Claughton Street to enable delivery vehicles to gain access to land at the rear of Cotham Street and Barrow Street.
On the 30th the Echo profiled Lynda Andrews of Lathom Drive in Rainford who twelve months to the day had given birth to triplets.
Not only had she been the first mother to have triplets in Rainford but they were also the first threesome to be born at the new maternity block at Fazakerley Hospital.
Last year Lynda had told the St Helens Reporter: "It really is terrible. They all start howling at once at feeding time. All I wanted was one baby, but I wouldn't swap them for the world now."
The Echo pictured the three toddlers and in their article wrote: "There's never a dull moment at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Andrews of Rainford, since their triplets came along.
"Helen, who weighed in at 4lb. 5ozs. at birth, is the quiet one, while Keith (born 4lb. 9ozs.) and Paul (born 3lb. 15 ozs.) are identical, and set the pace around the house."
On May 1st thieves broke into a van on the Ring Road car park in St Helens and stole large quantities of booze – including a dozen bottles of brandy and a dozen bottles of whisky.
Within the space of 45-minutes, a lorry parked at the rear of Elephant Lane in Thatto Heath was also broken into and two toolboxes containing £100 worth of tools were taken.
And finally this week the Liverpool Echo profiled Ness (short for Agnes) Shankly, the wife of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly.
I doubt that Jürgen Klopp goes to Blackpool for his summer holidays but Bill and Ness spent a week at the seaside each year – as well as seven days in Scotland!
Klopp also lives in a big house in Formby with seven bedrooms that the club bought off Brendan Rodgers for his family to live in.
But Bill and Ness had to buy their own place when they moved to Liverpool in 1960 and lived in a semi-detached house.
And there was clearly nothing in the way of security surrounding their simple home.
The club was due to play Arsenal in the FA Cup Final next week and Ness was being inundated with fans wanting tickets.
The article described how the postman was delivering 100 letters every day and ticket-hunters were regularly calling at the door and telephoning her.
Mrs Shankly came across in the interview as a lovely, unassuming person and when asked why she didn't go to watch Liverpool play at Anfield, she replied:
"I have always felt it would be unfair for me to occupy a seat that would otherwise go to a fan."
Ness also revealed that she was a big supporter of Rainhill Amateur Dramatic Society.
Next week's stories will include the miracle child of Eldon Street, a Whiston man leaps from his bedroom to avoid a fire, a POW reunion with a star at the Theatre Royal and the day Dickie Valentine entertained a patient at Rainhill Hospital.