FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (27th JULY - 2nd AUGUST 1970)
This week's 15 stories include outrage over plans for a gipsy camp in Burtonwood, a 3-year-old boy receives 47 dog bites in Sherdley Road, a call for St Helens' employers to hire married women, the sad story of a College Street fish-frying range and an advertising feature on the town's historic businesses.
We begin at the Capitol cinema where for six days from the 27th there was a double-bill of films from the carry-on franchise featuring 'Carry On Sergeant' and 'Carry On Cabby'. Meanwhile the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street went into its second week of screening 'Where Eagles Dare' starring Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton.
Rainford Council held their monthly meeting on the 27th and discussed their campaign for concessionary bus fares for the over 70s. They were not calling for bus passes for elderly residents but wanted their fares reducing. Buses through Rainford were then provided by the St Helens Transport Department and by Ribble and both companies had signalled that they were considering the matter carefully.
In a talk at the Fleece Hotel on the 27th, Joan Hesketh – the vice-president of St Helens Soroptimists – called for employers to do more to encourage married women to return to work. She said more women could be found part-time jobs if employers provided nursery and child care accommodation. Miss Hesketh also called for tax reforms and less discrimination, adding: "Many married women have great ability and the necessary qualifications. If they can be found part-time jobs, they would be of benefit to the community."
This week in the church magazine of St James of Haydock, the vicar, Rev. Spencer Wilson, described how low attendances at his Sunday evensong meant that he was holding services in the Lady Chapel instead of the main church.
At the Town Hall on the 29th, Pat Stoneking from Prescot Road, the St Helens Show Queen, received her £100 prize from the Mayor, Eric Kerr. Runner-up Joan Mellors from Pendle Avenue in Blackbrook was handed a £25 cheque.
The lead story for the St Helens Reporter on the 31st concerned 3-year-old Paul Derbyshire who had received 47 dog bites while playing on a field near his home in Sherdley Road. Paul's mother Vera told the paper: "I ran out and saw Paul lying on the ground. The Alsatians were diving on him and snapping at him. It was horrible. I want to see the dogs put down. They should have been destroyed the same night. The dogs have been loose for three weeks, and now they have turned savage."
Mrs Derbyshire believed the two animals belonged to the road haulage headquarters of Joe Pickavance. Bob Maleedy looked after the Alsatians for the company and said they'd escaped from his allotment three weeks earlier. The 69-year-old added that he had broken a bone in his foot chasing the two dogs across a field, although one had now returned to its compound.
However Pickavance's did not believe that their animals were to blame, as a spokesman explained: "It is very unfortunate that a child has been bitten, but on that particular night there were about a dozen dogs on the field. I do not think that our dogs were responsible for the attack."
"Hamsters Are Gay Little Animals", was the headline to a Snoopy Club piece in the Reporter about Sandra Pennington's two pets. Little Sandra lived in Billinge and 'Ham' and 'Squeak' were the names of her hamsters.
The Reporter described outrage in Burtonwood towards plans by Lancashire County Council to set up a gipsy camp in Broad Lane on the site of the former Collins Green Colliery. Garden centre owner Derek Orford commented: "We simply don't want gipsies here. They are a nuisance and they will only cause trouble."
Parish Council chairman Fred Phillips said: "This site is right on a bus route. It will become a real eyesore. We know the gipsies have got to go somewhere, but I feel they should be away from other people." Resident Cyril Singleton was equally critical, adding: "They collect scrap metal but the stuff they don't want is just dumped anywhere. They turn the place into a garbage heap."
The Reporter also revealed a council cock-up. In order to encourage tenants to spruce up their lawns and flowerbeds, Town Hall staff had held a "best kept gardens" contest. Stephen Critchley of Knowsley House Avenue in Eccleston was announced as one of the winners but he had been dead for six years. In reality it was his widow who was the winner.
In an interview with the Reporter, the chairman of St Helens Council's Transport Committee predicted a town centre ban on all private cars and more one-way roads. Len Williams said: "We have been watching the experimental system introduced along Church Street, which bans all vehicles except buses from using the road to travel into town. We think it is very successful. There is no doubt in my mind that we shall have to extend this system of buses against the traffic on one-way roads to other main routes in the town."
One-man buses had been introduced at the end of 1968 and Councillor Williams stated that eighteen more were now on order: "The one-man buses now operating have been well-received by the public. They are more dependable for one thing. They do turn up on time. What they [the passengers] do object to is an unreliable service. No one wants to stand in the rain hoping a bus will come along."
It is hard to think of the St Helens Citadel as a church instead of the recently closed arts venue but in 1970 it was a place of worship run by the Salvation Army (pictured above in earlier years). Profiled in the Reporter were young newlyweds John and Eileen Le Count of Lingholme Road who had just taken charge of the old building in Milk Street. Both had the title of Lieutenant and 23-year-old Lieut. Eileen said: "I think we are going to be very happy in St. Helens. The people are very friendly and have given us a wonderful welcome." Mrs Le Count added that around fifty people attended their services, which were held four times a week.
The Reporter over the last couple of months had given much coverage to the impending re-development of Gerards Bridge – particularly as it would also lead to the destruction of a close-knit community. Shops were boarded up, many people had moved away and a large number of houses had already fallen victim to the bulldozer. In this week's paper Elizabeth Leyland was profiled, along with her prized possession – a fish-frying range.
For more than thirty years her husband Fred had used the front room of their College Street home to cook suppers on the range. It was Fred's pride and joy and Elizabeth recalled her husband spending hours polishing its stainless steel bodywork. Fred had now passed on but the range was still standing in Mrs Leyland's front room as it contained many precious memories – as Elizabeth explained to the Reporter:
"I have only to go into the room to recall the early days of College Street, our customers, friends, neighbourhood children, and all the fun we had. We were very happy when we were in business, and believe me in 34 years, we must have known hundreds of people. We served children, watched them grow up and marry, and then served their children. College Street was a marvellous place in those days, full of warm-hearted and interesting people." Mrs Leyland would soon have to move out but she did not know where she – or her precious range – would end up. I'll probably have to let it go for scrap and most of the other stuff with it", she lamented. "I shall hate to part with it."
'St. Helens 50 Years Ago' was the title of an advertising feature in the Reporter, which focussed on long-established businesses. Bespoke tailors W. Pennington of Ormskirk Street announced that they were "proud to have served the community of St. Helens for over 50 years". The ad of the Windle Motor Company of Duke Street said: "Your Ford dealer – for over 50 years giving service with satisfaction."
Gavin Murray of Boundary Road and Ellisons Travel of Westfield Street went back to the days when they were called County Carriers. They added: "Whether it be from St. Helens to Parr or St. Helens to Timbuktu, book with the people who know." Soft drink bottlers John Twist & Sons claimed 70 years of "satisfactory service" from their Thatto Heath plant. "Grandma enjoyed our brewed drinks", they wrote. "You can enjoy our sparkling carbonated drinks."
Carpet specialists Smith & Sons of Church Street said they had been founded in 1886 but W. G. Dixon of Bickerstaffe Street went back even further, describing themselves as "funeral furnishers of repute since 1880". Also claiming a good vintage was Haywards of Westfield Street who wrote: "In 1878 we were probably dressing your great grandmother in the finest ladies' or children's wear. Today we are proud and pleased to be dressing you and your children."
Gallie's of Market Street was the joint-oldest firm in the feature claiming 1860 as the year when they started selling their wines, spirits and beers. Griffin's Furnishers of Duke Street had also been "known since 1860" and their message was "Don't take your wife for granted, take her to Griffins", where no deposit terms or big cash discounts was available on carpets and furniture.
Next week's stories will include the start of another strike at Pilkingtons, a police hunt for a little girl missing from Ruskin Drive, the St Helens woman that turned down a top role in Oh! Calcutta! and the long telephone waiting list in the town.
We begin at the Capitol cinema where for six days from the 27th there was a double-bill of films from the carry-on franchise featuring 'Carry On Sergeant' and 'Carry On Cabby'. Meanwhile the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street went into its second week of screening 'Where Eagles Dare' starring Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton.
Rainford Council held their monthly meeting on the 27th and discussed their campaign for concessionary bus fares for the over 70s. They were not calling for bus passes for elderly residents but wanted their fares reducing. Buses through Rainford were then provided by the St Helens Transport Department and by Ribble and both companies had signalled that they were considering the matter carefully.
In a talk at the Fleece Hotel on the 27th, Joan Hesketh – the vice-president of St Helens Soroptimists – called for employers to do more to encourage married women to return to work. She said more women could be found part-time jobs if employers provided nursery and child care accommodation. Miss Hesketh also called for tax reforms and less discrimination, adding: "Many married women have great ability and the necessary qualifications. If they can be found part-time jobs, they would be of benefit to the community."
This week in the church magazine of St James of Haydock, the vicar, Rev. Spencer Wilson, described how low attendances at his Sunday evensong meant that he was holding services in the Lady Chapel instead of the main church.
At the Town Hall on the 29th, Pat Stoneking from Prescot Road, the St Helens Show Queen, received her £100 prize from the Mayor, Eric Kerr. Runner-up Joan Mellors from Pendle Avenue in Blackbrook was handed a £25 cheque.
The lead story for the St Helens Reporter on the 31st concerned 3-year-old Paul Derbyshire who had received 47 dog bites while playing on a field near his home in Sherdley Road. Paul's mother Vera told the paper: "I ran out and saw Paul lying on the ground. The Alsatians were diving on him and snapping at him. It was horrible. I want to see the dogs put down. They should have been destroyed the same night. The dogs have been loose for three weeks, and now they have turned savage."
Mrs Derbyshire believed the two animals belonged to the road haulage headquarters of Joe Pickavance. Bob Maleedy looked after the Alsatians for the company and said they'd escaped from his allotment three weeks earlier. The 69-year-old added that he had broken a bone in his foot chasing the two dogs across a field, although one had now returned to its compound.
However Pickavance's did not believe that their animals were to blame, as a spokesman explained: "It is very unfortunate that a child has been bitten, but on that particular night there were about a dozen dogs on the field. I do not think that our dogs were responsible for the attack."
"Hamsters Are Gay Little Animals", was the headline to a Snoopy Club piece in the Reporter about Sandra Pennington's two pets. Little Sandra lived in Billinge and 'Ham' and 'Squeak' were the names of her hamsters.
The Reporter described outrage in Burtonwood towards plans by Lancashire County Council to set up a gipsy camp in Broad Lane on the site of the former Collins Green Colliery. Garden centre owner Derek Orford commented: "We simply don't want gipsies here. They are a nuisance and they will only cause trouble."
Parish Council chairman Fred Phillips said: "This site is right on a bus route. It will become a real eyesore. We know the gipsies have got to go somewhere, but I feel they should be away from other people." Resident Cyril Singleton was equally critical, adding: "They collect scrap metal but the stuff they don't want is just dumped anywhere. They turn the place into a garbage heap."
The Reporter also revealed a council cock-up. In order to encourage tenants to spruce up their lawns and flowerbeds, Town Hall staff had held a "best kept gardens" contest. Stephen Critchley of Knowsley House Avenue in Eccleston was announced as one of the winners but he had been dead for six years. In reality it was his widow who was the winner.
In an interview with the Reporter, the chairman of St Helens Council's Transport Committee predicted a town centre ban on all private cars and more one-way roads. Len Williams said: "We have been watching the experimental system introduced along Church Street, which bans all vehicles except buses from using the road to travel into town. We think it is very successful. There is no doubt in my mind that we shall have to extend this system of buses against the traffic on one-way roads to other main routes in the town."
One-man buses had been introduced at the end of 1968 and Councillor Williams stated that eighteen more were now on order: "The one-man buses now operating have been well-received by the public. They are more dependable for one thing. They do turn up on time. What they [the passengers] do object to is an unreliable service. No one wants to stand in the rain hoping a bus will come along."
The Reporter over the last couple of months had given much coverage to the impending re-development of Gerards Bridge – particularly as it would also lead to the destruction of a close-knit community. Shops were boarded up, many people had moved away and a large number of houses had already fallen victim to the bulldozer. In this week's paper Elizabeth Leyland was profiled, along with her prized possession – a fish-frying range.
For more than thirty years her husband Fred had used the front room of their College Street home to cook suppers on the range. It was Fred's pride and joy and Elizabeth recalled her husband spending hours polishing its stainless steel bodywork. Fred had now passed on but the range was still standing in Mrs Leyland's front room as it contained many precious memories – as Elizabeth explained to the Reporter:
"I have only to go into the room to recall the early days of College Street, our customers, friends, neighbourhood children, and all the fun we had. We were very happy when we were in business, and believe me in 34 years, we must have known hundreds of people. We served children, watched them grow up and marry, and then served their children. College Street was a marvellous place in those days, full of warm-hearted and interesting people." Mrs Leyland would soon have to move out but she did not know where she – or her precious range – would end up. I'll probably have to let it go for scrap and most of the other stuff with it", she lamented. "I shall hate to part with it."
'St. Helens 50 Years Ago' was the title of an advertising feature in the Reporter, which focussed on long-established businesses. Bespoke tailors W. Pennington of Ormskirk Street announced that they were "proud to have served the community of St. Helens for over 50 years". The ad of the Windle Motor Company of Duke Street said: "Your Ford dealer – for over 50 years giving service with satisfaction."
Gavin Murray of Boundary Road and Ellisons Travel of Westfield Street went back to the days when they were called County Carriers. They added: "Whether it be from St. Helens to Parr or St. Helens to Timbuktu, book with the people who know." Soft drink bottlers John Twist & Sons claimed 70 years of "satisfactory service" from their Thatto Heath plant. "Grandma enjoyed our brewed drinks", they wrote. "You can enjoy our sparkling carbonated drinks."
Carpet specialists Smith & Sons of Church Street said they had been founded in 1886 but W. G. Dixon of Bickerstaffe Street went back even further, describing themselves as "funeral furnishers of repute since 1880". Also claiming a good vintage was Haywards of Westfield Street who wrote: "In 1878 we were probably dressing your great grandmother in the finest ladies' or children's wear. Today we are proud and pleased to be dressing you and your children."
Gallie's of Market Street was the joint-oldest firm in the feature claiming 1860 as the year when they started selling their wines, spirits and beers. Griffin's Furnishers of Duke Street had also been "known since 1860" and their message was "Don't take your wife for granted, take her to Griffins", where no deposit terms or big cash discounts was available on carpets and furniture.
Next week's stories will include the start of another strike at Pilkingtons, a police hunt for a little girl missing from Ruskin Drive, the St Helens woman that turned down a top role in Oh! Calcutta! and the long telephone waiting list in the town.
This week's 15 stories include outrage over plans for a gipsy camp in Burtonwood, a 3-year-old boy receives 47 dog bites in Sherdley Road, a call for St Helens' employers to hire married women, the sad story of a College Street fish-frying range and an advertising feature on the town's historic businesses.
We begin at the Capitol cinema where for six days from the 27th there was a double-bill of films from the carry-on franchise featuring 'Carry On Sergeant' and 'Carry On Cabby'.
Meanwhile the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street went into its second week of screening 'Where Eagles Dare' starring Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton.
Rainford Council held their monthly meeting on the 27th and discussed their campaign for concessionary bus fares for the over 70s.
They were not calling for bus passes for elderly residents but wanted their fares reducing.
Buses through Rainford were then provided by the St Helens Transport Department and by Ribble and both companies had signalled that they were considering the matter carefully.
In a talk at the Fleece Hotel on the 27th, Joan Hesketh – the vice-president of St Helens Soroptimists – called for employers to do more to encourage married women to return to work.
She said more women could be found part-time jobs if employers provided nursery and child care accommodation.
Miss Hesketh also called for tax reforms and less discrimination, adding:
"Many married women have great ability and the necessary qualifications. If they can be found part-time jobs, they would be of benefit to the community."
This week in the church magazine of St James of Haydock, the vicar, Rev. Spencer Wilson, described how low attendances at his Sunday evensong meant that he was holding services in the Lady Chapel instead of the main church.
At the Town Hall on the 29th, Pat Stoneking from Prescot Road, the St Helens Show Queen, received her £100 prize from the Mayor, Eric Kerr.
Runner-up Joan Mellors from Pendle Avenue in Blackbrook was handed a £25 cheque.
The lead story for the St Helens Reporter on the 31st concerned 3-year-old Paul Derbyshire who had received 47 dog bites while playing on a field near his home in Sherdley Road.
Paul's mother Vera told the paper: "I ran out and saw Paul lying on the ground. The Alsatians were diving on him and snapping at him. It was horrible. I want to see the dogs put down.
"They should have been destroyed the same night. The dogs have been loose for three weeks, and now they have turned savage."
Mrs Derbyshire believed the two animals belonged to the road haulage headquarters of Joe Pickavance.
Bob Maleedy looked after the Alsatians for the company and said they'd escaped from his allotment three weeks earlier.
The 69-year-old added that he had broken a bone in his foot chasing the two dogs across a field, although one had now returned to its compound.
However Pickavance's did not believe that their animals were to blame, as a spokesman explained:
"It is very unfortunate that a child has been bitten, but on that particular night there were about a dozen dogs on the field. I do not think that our dogs were responsible for the attack."
"Hamsters Are Gay Little Animals", was the headline to a Snoopy Club piece in the Reporter about Sandra Pennington's two pets.
Little Sandra lived in Billinge and 'Ham' and 'Squeak' were the names of her hamsters.
The Reporter described outrage in Burtonwood towards plans by Lancashire County Council to set up a gipsy camp in Broad Lane on the site of the former Collins Green Colliery.
Garden centre owner Derek Orford commented: "We simply don't want gipsies here. They are a nuisance and they will only cause trouble."
Parish Council chairman Fred Phillips said: "This site is right on a bus route. It will become a real eyesore. We know the gipsies have got to go somewhere, but I feel they should be away from other people."
Resident Cyril Singleton was equally critical, adding: "They collect scrap metal but the stuff they don't want is just dumped anywhere. They turn the place into a garbage heap."
The Reporter also revealed a council cock-up. In order to encourage tenants to spruce up their lawns and flowerbeds, Town Hall staff had held a "best kept gardens" contest.
Stephen Critchley of Knowsley House Avenue in Eccleston was announced as one of the winners but he had been dead for six years. In reality it was his widow who was the winner.
In an interview with the Reporter, the chairman of St Helens Council's Transport Committee predicted a town centre ban on all private cars and more one-way roads. Len Williams said:
"We have been watching the experimental system introduced along Church Street, which bans all vehicles except buses from using the road to travel into town. We think it is very successful.
"There is no doubt in my mind that we shall have to extend this system of buses against the traffic on one-way roads to other main routes in the town."
One-man buses had been introduced at the end of 1968 and Councillor Williams stated that eighteen more were now on order:
"The one-man buses now operating have been well-received by the public. They are more dependable for one thing. They do turn up on time. What they [the passengers] do object to is an unreliable service. No one wants to stand in the rain hoping a bus will come along."
It is hard to think of the St Helens Citadel as a church instead of the recently closed arts venue but in 1970 it was a place of worship run by the Salvation Army (pictured above in earlier years).
Profiled in the Reporter were young newlyweds John and Eileen Le Count of Lingholme Road who had just taken charge of the old building in Milk Street.
Both had the title of Lieutenant and 23-year-old Lieut. Eileen said: "I think we are going to be very happy in St. Helens. The people are very friendly and have given us a wonderful welcome."
Mrs Le Count added that around fifty people attended their services, which were held four times a week.
The Reporter over the last couple of months had given much coverage to the impending re-development of Gerards Bridge – particularly as it would also lead to the destruction of a close-knit community.
Shops were boarded up, many people had moved away and a large number of houses had already fallen victim to the bulldozer.
In this week's paper Elizabeth Leyland was profiled, along with her prized possession – a fish-frying range.
For more than thirty years her husband Fred had used the front room of their College Street home to cook suppers on the range.
It was Fred's pride and joy and Elizabeth recalled her husband spending hours polishing its stainless steel bodywork.
Fred had now passed on but the range was still standing in Mrs Leyland's front room as it contained many precious memories – as Elizabeth explained to the Reporter:
"I have only to go into the room to recall the early days of College Street, our customers, friends, neighbourhood children, and all the fun we had. We were very happy when we were in business, and believe me in 34 years, we must have known hundreds of people.
"We served children, watched them grow up and marry, and then served their children. College Street was a marvellous place in those days, full of warm-hearted and interesting people."
Mrs Leyland would soon have to move out but she did not know where she – or her precious range – would end up.
I'll probably have to let it go for scrap and most of the other stuff with it", she lamented. "I shall hate to part with it."
'St. Helens 50 Years Ago' was the title of an advertising feature in the Reporter, which focussed on long-established businesses.
Bespoke tailors W. Pennington of Ormskirk Street announced that they were "proud to have served the community of St. Helens for over 50 years".
The ad of the Windle Motor Company of Duke Street said: "Your Ford dealer – for over 50 years giving service with satisfaction."
Gavin Murray of Boundary Road and Ellisons Travel of Westfield Street went back to the days when they were called County Carriers. They added:
"Whether it be from St. Helens to Parr or St. Helens to Timbuktu, book with the people who know."
Soft drink bottlers John Twist & Sons claimed 70 years of "satisfactory service" from their Thatto Heath plant.
"Grandma enjoyed our brewed drinks", they wrote. "You can enjoy our sparkling carbonated drinks."
Carpet specialists Smith & Sons of Church Street said they had been founded in 1886 but W. G. Dixon of Bickerstaffe Street went back even further, describing themselves as "funeral furnishers of repute since 1880".
Also claiming a good vintage was Haywards of Westfield Street who wrote:
"In 1878 we were probably dressing your great grandmother in the finest ladies' or children's wear. Today we are proud and pleased to be dressing you and your children."
Gallie's of Market Street was the joint-oldest firm in the feature claiming 1860 as the year when they started selling their wines, spirits and beers.
Griffin's Furnishers of Duke Street had also been "known since 1860" and their message was "Don't take your wife for granted, take her to Griffins", where no deposit terms or big cash discounts was available on carpets and furniture.
Next week's stories will include the start of another strike at Pilkingtons, a police hunt for a little girl missing from Ruskin Drive, the St Helens woman that turned down a top role in Oh! Calcutta! and the long telephone waiting list in the town.
We begin at the Capitol cinema where for six days from the 27th there was a double-bill of films from the carry-on franchise featuring 'Carry On Sergeant' and 'Carry On Cabby'.
Meanwhile the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street went into its second week of screening 'Where Eagles Dare' starring Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton.
Rainford Council held their monthly meeting on the 27th and discussed their campaign for concessionary bus fares for the over 70s.
They were not calling for bus passes for elderly residents but wanted their fares reducing.
Buses through Rainford were then provided by the St Helens Transport Department and by Ribble and both companies had signalled that they were considering the matter carefully.
In a talk at the Fleece Hotel on the 27th, Joan Hesketh – the vice-president of St Helens Soroptimists – called for employers to do more to encourage married women to return to work.
She said more women could be found part-time jobs if employers provided nursery and child care accommodation.
Miss Hesketh also called for tax reforms and less discrimination, adding:
"Many married women have great ability and the necessary qualifications. If they can be found part-time jobs, they would be of benefit to the community."
This week in the church magazine of St James of Haydock, the vicar, Rev. Spencer Wilson, described how low attendances at his Sunday evensong meant that he was holding services in the Lady Chapel instead of the main church.
At the Town Hall on the 29th, Pat Stoneking from Prescot Road, the St Helens Show Queen, received her £100 prize from the Mayor, Eric Kerr.
Runner-up Joan Mellors from Pendle Avenue in Blackbrook was handed a £25 cheque.
The lead story for the St Helens Reporter on the 31st concerned 3-year-old Paul Derbyshire who had received 47 dog bites while playing on a field near his home in Sherdley Road.
Paul's mother Vera told the paper: "I ran out and saw Paul lying on the ground. The Alsatians were diving on him and snapping at him. It was horrible. I want to see the dogs put down.
"They should have been destroyed the same night. The dogs have been loose for three weeks, and now they have turned savage."
Mrs Derbyshire believed the two animals belonged to the road haulage headquarters of Joe Pickavance.
Bob Maleedy looked after the Alsatians for the company and said they'd escaped from his allotment three weeks earlier.
The 69-year-old added that he had broken a bone in his foot chasing the two dogs across a field, although one had now returned to its compound.
However Pickavance's did not believe that their animals were to blame, as a spokesman explained:
"It is very unfortunate that a child has been bitten, but on that particular night there were about a dozen dogs on the field. I do not think that our dogs were responsible for the attack."
Little Sandra lived in Billinge and 'Ham' and 'Squeak' were the names of her hamsters.
The Reporter described outrage in Burtonwood towards plans by Lancashire County Council to set up a gipsy camp in Broad Lane on the site of the former Collins Green Colliery.
Garden centre owner Derek Orford commented: "We simply don't want gipsies here. They are a nuisance and they will only cause trouble."
Parish Council chairman Fred Phillips said: "This site is right on a bus route. It will become a real eyesore. We know the gipsies have got to go somewhere, but I feel they should be away from other people."
Resident Cyril Singleton was equally critical, adding: "They collect scrap metal but the stuff they don't want is just dumped anywhere. They turn the place into a garbage heap."
The Reporter also revealed a council cock-up. In order to encourage tenants to spruce up their lawns and flowerbeds, Town Hall staff had held a "best kept gardens" contest.
Stephen Critchley of Knowsley House Avenue in Eccleston was announced as one of the winners but he had been dead for six years. In reality it was his widow who was the winner.
In an interview with the Reporter, the chairman of St Helens Council's Transport Committee predicted a town centre ban on all private cars and more one-way roads. Len Williams said:
"We have been watching the experimental system introduced along Church Street, which bans all vehicles except buses from using the road to travel into town. We think it is very successful.
"There is no doubt in my mind that we shall have to extend this system of buses against the traffic on one-way roads to other main routes in the town."
One-man buses had been introduced at the end of 1968 and Councillor Williams stated that eighteen more were now on order:
"The one-man buses now operating have been well-received by the public. They are more dependable for one thing. They do turn up on time. What they [the passengers] do object to is an unreliable service. No one wants to stand in the rain hoping a bus will come along."
Profiled in the Reporter were young newlyweds John and Eileen Le Count of Lingholme Road who had just taken charge of the old building in Milk Street.
Both had the title of Lieutenant and 23-year-old Lieut. Eileen said: "I think we are going to be very happy in St. Helens. The people are very friendly and have given us a wonderful welcome."
Mrs Le Count added that around fifty people attended their services, which were held four times a week.
The Reporter over the last couple of months had given much coverage to the impending re-development of Gerards Bridge – particularly as it would also lead to the destruction of a close-knit community.
Shops were boarded up, many people had moved away and a large number of houses had already fallen victim to the bulldozer.
In this week's paper Elizabeth Leyland was profiled, along with her prized possession – a fish-frying range.
For more than thirty years her husband Fred had used the front room of their College Street home to cook suppers on the range.
It was Fred's pride and joy and Elizabeth recalled her husband spending hours polishing its stainless steel bodywork.
Fred had now passed on but the range was still standing in Mrs Leyland's front room as it contained many precious memories – as Elizabeth explained to the Reporter:
"I have only to go into the room to recall the early days of College Street, our customers, friends, neighbourhood children, and all the fun we had. We were very happy when we were in business, and believe me in 34 years, we must have known hundreds of people.
"We served children, watched them grow up and marry, and then served their children. College Street was a marvellous place in those days, full of warm-hearted and interesting people."
Mrs Leyland would soon have to move out but she did not know where she – or her precious range – would end up.
I'll probably have to let it go for scrap and most of the other stuff with it", she lamented. "I shall hate to part with it."
'St. Helens 50 Years Ago' was the title of an advertising feature in the Reporter, which focussed on long-established businesses.
Bespoke tailors W. Pennington of Ormskirk Street announced that they were "proud to have served the community of St. Helens for over 50 years".
The ad of the Windle Motor Company of Duke Street said: "Your Ford dealer – for over 50 years giving service with satisfaction."
Gavin Murray of Boundary Road and Ellisons Travel of Westfield Street went back to the days when they were called County Carriers. They added:
"Whether it be from St. Helens to Parr or St. Helens to Timbuktu, book with the people who know."
Soft drink bottlers John Twist & Sons claimed 70 years of "satisfactory service" from their Thatto Heath plant.
"Grandma enjoyed our brewed drinks", they wrote. "You can enjoy our sparkling carbonated drinks."
Carpet specialists Smith & Sons of Church Street said they had been founded in 1886 but W. G. Dixon of Bickerstaffe Street went back even further, describing themselves as "funeral furnishers of repute since 1880".
Also claiming a good vintage was Haywards of Westfield Street who wrote:
"In 1878 we were probably dressing your great grandmother in the finest ladies' or children's wear. Today we are proud and pleased to be dressing you and your children."
Gallie's of Market Street was the joint-oldest firm in the feature claiming 1860 as the year when they started selling their wines, spirits and beers.
Griffin's Furnishers of Duke Street had also been "known since 1860" and their message was "Don't take your wife for granted, take her to Griffins", where no deposit terms or big cash discounts was available on carpets and furniture.
Next week's stories will include the start of another strike at Pilkingtons, a police hunt for a little girl missing from Ruskin Drive, the St Helens woman that turned down a top role in Oh! Calcutta! and the long telephone waiting list in the town.