FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (27th May - 2nd June 1969)
This week's stories include a "shattering, deafening explosion" in Haresfinch, the Whit Monday church processions, the new Four Acre Lane estate, why smoking could not be banned on St Helens buses, vandalism to church tents in Rainford Road, whippet racing returns to the town and there is a new member of the Golden Helmet Club.
We begin on the 27th with a case of "so near and yet so far" for the residents of Central Street and parts of College Street. That was because their taps were dry, despite some of the households being just yards away from the new water depot. During the previous evening a main had burst in Central Street, which was the second recent fracture in almost exactly the same spot.
Some of the residents put the blame on the heavy vehicles that were continually used by the Water Depot and which were causing vibrations. A spokesman for the council did not rule that out as the cause but said the water mains were very old and liable to bursts. The residents had their supplies restored by the afternoon.
The roofs of two houses in Green Leach Lane in Haresfinch partly collapsed that same day after being struck by lightning. 76-year-old James Marsh and wife Ivy described how their television set fused and then the window of their sitting room suddenly caved in: "There was a shattering, deafening explosion, but fortunately, no one was injured." Providence Hospital was also struck by the lightning but only a drainpipe was damaged.
The last of the 151 council homes being built at Four Acre Lane was officially handed over to the vice-chairman of St Helens Housing Committee on the 28th. The £500,000 scheme (£8½m in today's money) comprising houses and bungalows had begun in September 1967. The Mayor of St Helens, Tom Wilcock, and his mother Edith (who was serving as Mayoress) were making one of their first engagements and Mrs Wilcock was handed a bouquet by four-year-old Catherine Jones.
Also on the 28th Eric Rigby from Honister Avenue in Carr Mill became a member of the Golden Helmet Club. The 54-year-old superintendent at Ravenhead Glass had suffered a serious accident in April when a 24 ft. fully extended ladder slipped and fell on to his head. Had he not been wearing a safety helmet, Eric would probably have been killed or seriously injured.
So he was made a member of the club that had been created to remind workers to wear their helmets in an era when not everyone did. Eric was presented with a certificate, a badge and a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting 'Man with a Golden Helmet'. Although during the 1980s, experts concluded that the Dutch artist had not actually painted the artwork.
"You're never too old to marry", said 69-year-old Elsie Harrison after her wedding to 73-year-old Bill Winstanley on the 28th. The widowed couple had married at St Peter's Church in Parr after a two-year courtship that began when Bill – from Mount Pleasant Avenue – became a regular visitor to Ashtons Green Home, where Elsie lived.
About sixty of the residents went to the ceremony with the wedding reception held at the home. Flowers for the couple's big day were provided by the Corporation's Parks Department.
The Liverpool Echo on the 28th said that Councillor Jim Walsh would be raising the issue of heavy lorries parking in Houghton Street in Newton-le-Willows at the next council meeting. When he had visited the street at the request of residents the councillor had counted thirteen lorries parked there.
It was jazz night at the Theatre Royal on the 28th with Terry Lightfoot's Jazz Band and the Panama Jazzmen. On the following evening folk singer Julie Felix was in concert.
The Reporter on the 30th described how vandals had wrecked tents and a large marquee at St Helens Parish Church's Spring Festival. These had been set up on the recreation ground in Rainford Road two days before the Whit Monday event. However on the Sunday it was discovered that the centre poles had been removed from three small tents and used to damage the canvas. A large hole was also cut in the upper section of a marquee.
In the event bad weather led to the field becoming waterlogged and the planned events had to be cancelled. However a united church procession featuring members of St Andrew's, St Mary's, York Mission and the Parish Church went ahead – ironically in bright sunshine!
Waterlogged playing fields also led to St Peter's annual sports day being postponed until June 28th. Their walk – combining the parishes of St Peter's, St Philip's and Brookfield Mission – also went ahead as normal.
The Reporter wrote that Parr Public Band, Rainford Silver Band and St Peter’s Boys Brigade had provided "rousing marching music". Within the procession were teams of Morris dancers and members of St Peter's and St Philip's Sunday Schools, who "provided a gay splash of colour with their dresses of gold and blue". The Reporter stated that St Matthew's field day in Thatto Heath hadn't been interfered with by the weather. It went ahead as planned with the usual sports and sideshows.
And in Sutton an estimated 3,000 people participated in St Anne's Whit Monday walk, which had been reintroduced after a gap of four years. Their near-100-year-old St Paul of the Cross banner was held high as the procession wended its way along Monastery Lane, Robins Lane, Peckers Hill Road, Junction Lane and Station Road.
The entertainment on their field included a display of country dancing and a boxing tournament staged by Lowe House Boxing Club. The Reporter also described how Penlake Athletic F.C. was moving to Bold Miners Welfare Club in Parr and was changing its name to Bold Miners F.C.
'The Court' dancing school in Prescot Road had opened their doors in February and must have spent a small fortune advertising every week in the Reporter. However they pulled off a bit of a cheap stunt in this week's paper. Their ad read: "It will not matter what sex you are, you cannot fail to enjoy the fun of learning to dance our way!" However the word "SEX" was in massive letters, with the rest of the sentence in small type. "Start Living, Get Dancing", they also wrote.
The Reporter stated that a Burtonwood councillor was writing to Lancashire United Transport to ask for a later bus service from St Helens. The last bus to Burtonwood left at 9:45pm, meaning cinemagoers visiting the Capitol or the ABC Savoy had to leave before the end of the film.
There was another issue with the buses that the Reporter described. Rainhill Parish Council had written to the St Helens Transport Department requesting strongly-worded notices be put up in the new one-man buses ordering passengers not to smoke. However at a recent council meeting it was revealed that the department had no authority to ban smoking. They could only request that passengers didn't light up.
The Transport Department added that air circulation in the buses minimised the inconvenience to non-smoking passengers. That was not good enough for County Councillor Nellie Holley who said their response was unsatisfactory: "The ventilation is not good and when they are packed at peak hours it is very bad, especially when the doors are shut."
The Liverpool Echo on the 30th wrote that a two-year-old pedigree cat called Tazzy from Mossborough Road in Rainford had been declared 'Top Neuter of the Year'. That was through winning more "best in show" awards throughout the 1968 - 9 season than any other "neuter". I suppose being neutered has to have some consolations!
On the 30th Beecham's was advertising in the Guardian for a "Lady Personnel and Training Officer" aged between 21 and 30. Both gender and age stipulations would now, of course, be illegal.
It was the Haydock Donkey Derby and Gala Day on the 31st and the summer distribution of the Thatto Heath Old Men's Benevolent Fund was also held at Thatto Heath Library. Later that day 'An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan' took place at the Theatre Royal featuring John Heddle Nash and full supporting company.
The annual Mayoral procession was held in fine weather on June 1st with the parade processing from the Town Hall to St Helens Parish Church for a civic service. Led by Redgate Boys Band, the procession included councillors and contingents from the police, British Legion, fire service, Sea Cadets, Girls Nautical Training Corps and other local organisations.
Whippet racing returned to St Helens on the 1st after an absence of 25 years. The recently formed Mid-Lancashire Whippet Racing Association held its first meeting at Bold Miners' Welfare Club. A grant from the coal industry social welfare organisation had supported the revival of the sport and over eighty dogs from all over the country competed.
On the 2nd the ABC Savoy began screening the sex farce 'Candy' featuring Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, James Coburn and Ringo Starr. Steve McQueen's 'Bullitt' had been on at the Savoy in mid-April but was now showing at the Capitol for six days from the 2nd.
On the same day a Manchester-based rainwear company called Drylander Weatherproofs opened a new factory on the Merton Bank Industrial Estate. The company had opened a small factory in Sutton three years earlier to test the recruitment of labour in the area. The town had clearly passed the test and 90 Sutton workers had now transferred to Merton Bank and it was hoped that in 18 months time there would be 400 people employed at the firm making weatherproof clothing.
Next week's stories will include the opening of the Sutton Arms in Elephant Lane, advice for St Helens mothers to give birth at home, a wedding feature in the St Helens Reporter, the Blessed Julie Gala and Donkey Derby in Bobbys Lane, Sunday sport in Prescot and St Helens Art Club's annual exhibition.
We begin on the 27th with a case of "so near and yet so far" for the residents of Central Street and parts of College Street. That was because their taps were dry, despite some of the households being just yards away from the new water depot. During the previous evening a main had burst in Central Street, which was the second recent fracture in almost exactly the same spot.
Some of the residents put the blame on the heavy vehicles that were continually used by the Water Depot and which were causing vibrations. A spokesman for the council did not rule that out as the cause but said the water mains were very old and liable to bursts. The residents had their supplies restored by the afternoon.
The roofs of two houses in Green Leach Lane in Haresfinch partly collapsed that same day after being struck by lightning. 76-year-old James Marsh and wife Ivy described how their television set fused and then the window of their sitting room suddenly caved in: "There was a shattering, deafening explosion, but fortunately, no one was injured." Providence Hospital was also struck by the lightning but only a drainpipe was damaged.
The last of the 151 council homes being built at Four Acre Lane was officially handed over to the vice-chairman of St Helens Housing Committee on the 28th. The £500,000 scheme (£8½m in today's money) comprising houses and bungalows had begun in September 1967. The Mayor of St Helens, Tom Wilcock, and his mother Edith (who was serving as Mayoress) were making one of their first engagements and Mrs Wilcock was handed a bouquet by four-year-old Catherine Jones.
Also on the 28th Eric Rigby from Honister Avenue in Carr Mill became a member of the Golden Helmet Club. The 54-year-old superintendent at Ravenhead Glass had suffered a serious accident in April when a 24 ft. fully extended ladder slipped and fell on to his head. Had he not been wearing a safety helmet, Eric would probably have been killed or seriously injured.
So he was made a member of the club that had been created to remind workers to wear their helmets in an era when not everyone did. Eric was presented with a certificate, a badge and a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting 'Man with a Golden Helmet'. Although during the 1980s, experts concluded that the Dutch artist had not actually painted the artwork.
"You're never too old to marry", said 69-year-old Elsie Harrison after her wedding to 73-year-old Bill Winstanley on the 28th. The widowed couple had married at St Peter's Church in Parr after a two-year courtship that began when Bill – from Mount Pleasant Avenue – became a regular visitor to Ashtons Green Home, where Elsie lived.
About sixty of the residents went to the ceremony with the wedding reception held at the home. Flowers for the couple's big day were provided by the Corporation's Parks Department.
The Liverpool Echo on the 28th said that Councillor Jim Walsh would be raising the issue of heavy lorries parking in Houghton Street in Newton-le-Willows at the next council meeting. When he had visited the street at the request of residents the councillor had counted thirteen lorries parked there.
These advertisements for the Theatre Royal, Stamina Foods and Ravenhead Glass were published in the Liverpool Echo this week
These advertisements were published in the Liverpool Echo this week
Adverts in the Liverpool Echo this week
The Reporter on the 30th described how vandals had wrecked tents and a large marquee at St Helens Parish Church's Spring Festival. These had been set up on the recreation ground in Rainford Road two days before the Whit Monday event. However on the Sunday it was discovered that the centre poles had been removed from three small tents and used to damage the canvas. A large hole was also cut in the upper section of a marquee.
In the event bad weather led to the field becoming waterlogged and the planned events had to be cancelled. However a united church procession featuring members of St Andrew's, St Mary's, York Mission and the Parish Church went ahead – ironically in bright sunshine!
Waterlogged playing fields also led to St Peter's annual sports day being postponed until June 28th. Their walk – combining the parishes of St Peter's, St Philip's and Brookfield Mission – also went ahead as normal.
The Reporter wrote that Parr Public Band, Rainford Silver Band and St Peter’s Boys Brigade had provided "rousing marching music". Within the procession were teams of Morris dancers and members of St Peter's and St Philip's Sunday Schools, who "provided a gay splash of colour with their dresses of gold and blue". The Reporter stated that St Matthew's field day in Thatto Heath hadn't been interfered with by the weather. It went ahead as planned with the usual sports and sideshows.
And in Sutton an estimated 3,000 people participated in St Anne's Whit Monday walk, which had been reintroduced after a gap of four years. Their near-100-year-old St Paul of the Cross banner was held high as the procession wended its way along Monastery Lane, Robins Lane, Peckers Hill Road, Junction Lane and Station Road.
The entertainment on their field included a display of country dancing and a boxing tournament staged by Lowe House Boxing Club. The Reporter also described how Penlake Athletic F.C. was moving to Bold Miners Welfare Club in Parr and was changing its name to Bold Miners F.C.
'The Court' dancing school in Prescot Road had opened their doors in February and must have spent a small fortune advertising every week in the Reporter. However they pulled off a bit of a cheap stunt in this week's paper. Their ad read: "It will not matter what sex you are, you cannot fail to enjoy the fun of learning to dance our way!" However the word "SEX" was in massive letters, with the rest of the sentence in small type. "Start Living, Get Dancing", they also wrote.
The Reporter stated that a Burtonwood councillor was writing to Lancashire United Transport to ask for a later bus service from St Helens. The last bus to Burtonwood left at 9:45pm, meaning cinemagoers visiting the Capitol or the ABC Savoy had to leave before the end of the film.
There was another issue with the buses that the Reporter described. Rainhill Parish Council had written to the St Helens Transport Department requesting strongly-worded notices be put up in the new one-man buses ordering passengers not to smoke. However at a recent council meeting it was revealed that the department had no authority to ban smoking. They could only request that passengers didn't light up.
The Transport Department added that air circulation in the buses minimised the inconvenience to non-smoking passengers. That was not good enough for County Councillor Nellie Holley who said their response was unsatisfactory: "The ventilation is not good and when they are packed at peak hours it is very bad, especially when the doors are shut."
The Liverpool Echo on the 30th wrote that a two-year-old pedigree cat called Tazzy from Mossborough Road in Rainford had been declared 'Top Neuter of the Year'. That was through winning more "best in show" awards throughout the 1968 - 9 season than any other "neuter". I suppose being neutered has to have some consolations!
On the 30th Beecham's was advertising in the Guardian for a "Lady Personnel and Training Officer" aged between 21 and 30. Both gender and age stipulations would now, of course, be illegal.
It was the Haydock Donkey Derby and Gala Day on the 31st and the summer distribution of the Thatto Heath Old Men's Benevolent Fund was also held at Thatto Heath Library. Later that day 'An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan' took place at the Theatre Royal featuring John Heddle Nash and full supporting company.
The annual Mayoral procession was held in fine weather on June 1st with the parade processing from the Town Hall to St Helens Parish Church for a civic service. Led by Redgate Boys Band, the procession included councillors and contingents from the police, British Legion, fire service, Sea Cadets, Girls Nautical Training Corps and other local organisations.
Whippet racing returned to St Helens on the 1st after an absence of 25 years. The recently formed Mid-Lancashire Whippet Racing Association held its first meeting at Bold Miners' Welfare Club. A grant from the coal industry social welfare organisation had supported the revival of the sport and over eighty dogs from all over the country competed.
On the 2nd the ABC Savoy began screening the sex farce 'Candy' featuring Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, James Coburn and Ringo Starr. Steve McQueen's 'Bullitt' had been on at the Savoy in mid-April but was now showing at the Capitol for six days from the 2nd.
On the same day a Manchester-based rainwear company called Drylander Weatherproofs opened a new factory on the Merton Bank Industrial Estate. The company had opened a small factory in Sutton three years earlier to test the recruitment of labour in the area. The town had clearly passed the test and 90 Sutton workers had now transferred to Merton Bank and it was hoped that in 18 months time there would be 400 people employed at the firm making weatherproof clothing.
Next week's stories will include the opening of the Sutton Arms in Elephant Lane, advice for St Helens mothers to give birth at home, a wedding feature in the St Helens Reporter, the Blessed Julie Gala and Donkey Derby in Bobbys Lane, Sunday sport in Prescot and St Helens Art Club's annual exhibition.