FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (29th AUG. - 4th SEPT. 1972)
This week's stories include the blitz on Haydock's slum homes, the golf balls pilfered from the new Sherdley Park driving range, the Rockware smoke emissions, the Victoria Square clean up, a retiring GP slams the loss of the doctor-patient relationship and the 100ft high Pocket Nook chimney that was having to be taken down brick by brick.
We begin on the 31st when the Runcorn Weekly News profiled Liverpool star midfielder Brian Hall who lived with his wife Mary and 15-month-old daughter Jane in Rainford. "We love living in Rainford", said Brian. "It's quiet yet not too far from everything. And the daily trip in for training takes only twenty minutes."
Also on the 31st, a well-known Prescot doctor retired after more than 40 years in the medical profession. Dr Paravasthu Sawmy came to this country from India in 1920 and qualified in England as a doctor before starting work at Whiston Hospital in 1928. During his ten years there, Dr Sawmy carried out post-mortem examinations for the police but then left to start practices in St Helens, Prescot and Rainhill.
The 72-year-old's parting shot was to lament the creation of large group practices with multiple GPs, saying: "People get knocked about from person to person. They don't see the same doctor, and the individual touch gets lost." Dr Sawmy added that as a consequence, the doctor-patient relationship was "worn down to a bare thread" and said that in retirement he would still offer free advice to any of his former patients who requested it.
"The most backward town in the country for implementing the Clean Air Act", was what union leader John Taylor labelled St Helens this week. That was after smoke from the Rockware glass factory at Pocket Nook (pictured above) had poured out of its chimneys causing breathing difficulties for some workers in the immediate area.
"The fumes were choking and there was a terrible smell", added Mr Taylor who worked for the transport department of the North Western Gas Board, opposite Rockware's premises. "The smoke doesn't rise up", he added. "It hangs in the air, leaving a black deposit of gritty dust. And it goes on all day long."
Mr Taylor also claimed that St Helens was doing the least of all towns to combat pollution and called on the town's MP, Leslie Spriggs, to intervene. The latter lived in Thornton Cleveleys and the union man felt that if Spriggs resided in St Helens rather than at the seaside, something would be done.
However, Rockware claimed that the smoke emissions had been a one-off, caused by a chimney fault which was being repaired. And St Helens Health Department strongly refuted Mr Taylor's claims of inaction, saying: "There are other areas in Lancashire worse for pollution than St. Helens. We are tackling the problem as quickly as we can. Our smoke control programme for domestic buildings will be complete by 1975. It's smoke from coal fires rather than factory chimneys that is the greatest hazard."
The Reporter was published on September 1st and published a photograph of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square framed against a backdrop of Century House. The caption read: "Plans are in hand to move the statue of Queen Victoria, which has brooded over the scene in Victoria Square for so many years. Background contrast is provided by one of the town's newest buildings – Century House."
The paper described how a "blitz" was to be made on Haydock's "slum homes". However, there were not all that many properties judged unfit for habitation – only 58 out of 5,207. There were, though, 1,348 Haydock homes that needed improving to meet the Government's 12-point fitness standard. Nearly 500 of them were council houses and Haydock Council's Clerk, Hugh Pye, said: "If we can get the unfit houses cleared and bring all our council houses up to requirements as soon as possible we will be well on the way to becoming an ideal housing authority."
British Rail was advertising in the Reporter day return trips from St Helens to London for just £2.50, "by special train at just about half fare". For children under 14, the cost was £1.25.
Harry Davies was pictured on the front page of the Reporter on top of a 100-ft high chimney in Pocket Nook. The 47-year-old steeplejack from Frodsham Drive in Blackbrook had the task of taking down the old chimney – that had formerly been used by Varley's engineering works – brick-by-brick. That was because it was situated too near to factories and a road for explosives to be used. And so Harry was carefully picking his way round the 18-inch wide parapet and slowly chipping the bricks from beneath his feet. Harry told the Reporter:
"At one time I used to work in a gang, but there are not so many steeplejacks now. And I like working alone. This is a tough one, but I’ve been in this game for 20 years and it's not the first one I’ve done this way. You just have to work steadily. I go round once and then knock off for a smoke. It was at 100ft. when I started last week. Now it's down to about 80ft. But it'll get thicker as I go down so it should take about six weeks to reach the bottom."
The Reporter also described how the new Sherdley Park driving range had been shedding 400 golf balls a week since the facility opened in May. Ted Gallagher, the council's Deputy Director of Parks, told the paper that most of the balls were vanishing into children's pockets: "We have already had to replace our entire stock of balls. Normally we have about three to four thousand. But it has been difficult to keep it up. We certainly didn't expect to lose so much."
In spite of a 5-ft. high fence with spikes that enclosed the driving range, the children were still managing to nip over it and nick the balls before staff could collect them. "I can't see why the children want the balls," added Mr Gallagher. "They can't be much use to them, and because they are yellow they are easy to identify. On one occasion, we chased off two young children who were collecting the balls in two haversacks. They had picked up about 200."
However, several days later the Echo provided the answer, writing: "This season there is a shortage of golf balls, and the children are taking advantage of the law of supply and demand." A Dunlop spokesman in London said there was a nationwide scarcity of golf balls and they had been rationing supplies to club professionals and shops. On Merseyside a number of golf clubs told the Echo that they faced a difficult situation.
At Bowring Park golf course, near Huyton, an official said children were making money by selling balls at 10p each that they'd picked up while combing the course. Clearly driving ranges were more fruitful for the enterprising kids than golf courses and the Echo added that at Sherdley Park they were considering buying a mechanical ball collector. The youngsters at Sherdley had collected 5,000 golf balls worth 15p each since the driving range had opened at Whit.
The Reporter was also able to pronounce the Rainford Carnival that had taken place on the previous weekend a great success, with organisers forecasting a profit of at least £1,300. That's around £20,000 in today's money and the cash would be used to pay for restoration work on the Parish Church. Treasurer Ronnie Moss said: "It's quite a problem organising something like this and getting it off the ground. But there's a terrific community spirit in Rainford. All denominations came forward to help and support us. We're extremely grateful."
A massive clean-up was due to begin this week in which buildings fronting Victoria Square in St Helens (pictured above) would have decades of grime removed from their walls. What was described as an "informal garden" was also going to be developed at the corner of Cotham Street and Victoria Square to "create a haven of rest in the town centre". A council spokesman said they had many other such schemes in mind that they hoped to get underway within the next few months, "to make St. Helens a much more pleasant place to live in."
And finally, for 7 days from the 3rd, Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' was screened at the Capitol and at the ABC Savoy it was 'Henry VIII and His Six Wives', starring Keith Michell.
Next week's stories will include the blind Sutton Manor secretary who suffered discrimination, the shock closure of a Sutton pet food firm, the petticoat battle plan to besiege Leathers chemical plant and the dangerous chimney in Sutton Manor.
We begin on the 31st when the Runcorn Weekly News profiled Liverpool star midfielder Brian Hall who lived with his wife Mary and 15-month-old daughter Jane in Rainford. "We love living in Rainford", said Brian. "It's quiet yet not too far from everything. And the daily trip in for training takes only twenty minutes."
Also on the 31st, a well-known Prescot doctor retired after more than 40 years in the medical profession. Dr Paravasthu Sawmy came to this country from India in 1920 and qualified in England as a doctor before starting work at Whiston Hospital in 1928. During his ten years there, Dr Sawmy carried out post-mortem examinations for the police but then left to start practices in St Helens, Prescot and Rainhill.
The 72-year-old's parting shot was to lament the creation of large group practices with multiple GPs, saying: "People get knocked about from person to person. They don't see the same doctor, and the individual touch gets lost." Dr Sawmy added that as a consequence, the doctor-patient relationship was "worn down to a bare thread" and said that in retirement he would still offer free advice to any of his former patients who requested it.
"The fumes were choking and there was a terrible smell", added Mr Taylor who worked for the transport department of the North Western Gas Board, opposite Rockware's premises. "The smoke doesn't rise up", he added. "It hangs in the air, leaving a black deposit of gritty dust. And it goes on all day long."
Mr Taylor also claimed that St Helens was doing the least of all towns to combat pollution and called on the town's MP, Leslie Spriggs, to intervene. The latter lived in Thornton Cleveleys and the union man felt that if Spriggs resided in St Helens rather than at the seaside, something would be done.
However, Rockware claimed that the smoke emissions had been a one-off, caused by a chimney fault which was being repaired. And St Helens Health Department strongly refuted Mr Taylor's claims of inaction, saying: "There are other areas in Lancashire worse for pollution than St. Helens. We are tackling the problem as quickly as we can. Our smoke control programme for domestic buildings will be complete by 1975. It's smoke from coal fires rather than factory chimneys that is the greatest hazard."
The Reporter was published on September 1st and published a photograph of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square framed against a backdrop of Century House. The caption read: "Plans are in hand to move the statue of Queen Victoria, which has brooded over the scene in Victoria Square for so many years. Background contrast is provided by one of the town's newest buildings – Century House."
The paper described how a "blitz" was to be made on Haydock's "slum homes". However, there were not all that many properties judged unfit for habitation – only 58 out of 5,207. There were, though, 1,348 Haydock homes that needed improving to meet the Government's 12-point fitness standard. Nearly 500 of them were council houses and Haydock Council's Clerk, Hugh Pye, said: "If we can get the unfit houses cleared and bring all our council houses up to requirements as soon as possible we will be well on the way to becoming an ideal housing authority."
British Rail was advertising in the Reporter day return trips from St Helens to London for just £2.50, "by special train at just about half fare". For children under 14, the cost was £1.25.
Harry Davies was pictured on the front page of the Reporter on top of a 100-ft high chimney in Pocket Nook. The 47-year-old steeplejack from Frodsham Drive in Blackbrook had the task of taking down the old chimney – that had formerly been used by Varley's engineering works – brick-by-brick. That was because it was situated too near to factories and a road for explosives to be used. And so Harry was carefully picking his way round the 18-inch wide parapet and slowly chipping the bricks from beneath his feet. Harry told the Reporter:
"At one time I used to work in a gang, but there are not so many steeplejacks now. And I like working alone. This is a tough one, but I’ve been in this game for 20 years and it's not the first one I’ve done this way. You just have to work steadily. I go round once and then knock off for a smoke. It was at 100ft. when I started last week. Now it's down to about 80ft. But it'll get thicker as I go down so it should take about six weeks to reach the bottom."
The Reporter also described how the new Sherdley Park driving range had been shedding 400 golf balls a week since the facility opened in May. Ted Gallagher, the council's Deputy Director of Parks, told the paper that most of the balls were vanishing into children's pockets: "We have already had to replace our entire stock of balls. Normally we have about three to four thousand. But it has been difficult to keep it up. We certainly didn't expect to lose so much."
In spite of a 5-ft. high fence with spikes that enclosed the driving range, the children were still managing to nip over it and nick the balls before staff could collect them. "I can't see why the children want the balls," added Mr Gallagher. "They can't be much use to them, and because they are yellow they are easy to identify. On one occasion, we chased off two young children who were collecting the balls in two haversacks. They had picked up about 200."
However, several days later the Echo provided the answer, writing: "This season there is a shortage of golf balls, and the children are taking advantage of the law of supply and demand." A Dunlop spokesman in London said there was a nationwide scarcity of golf balls and they had been rationing supplies to club professionals and shops. On Merseyside a number of golf clubs told the Echo that they faced a difficult situation.
At Bowring Park golf course, near Huyton, an official said children were making money by selling balls at 10p each that they'd picked up while combing the course. Clearly driving ranges were more fruitful for the enterprising kids than golf courses and the Echo added that at Sherdley Park they were considering buying a mechanical ball collector. The youngsters at Sherdley had collected 5,000 golf balls worth 15p each since the driving range had opened at Whit.
The Reporter was also able to pronounce the Rainford Carnival that had taken place on the previous weekend a great success, with organisers forecasting a profit of at least £1,300. That's around £20,000 in today's money and the cash would be used to pay for restoration work on the Parish Church. Treasurer Ronnie Moss said: "It's quite a problem organising something like this and getting it off the ground. But there's a terrific community spirit in Rainford. All denominations came forward to help and support us. We're extremely grateful."
And finally, for 7 days from the 3rd, Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' was screened at the Capitol and at the ABC Savoy it was 'Henry VIII and His Six Wives', starring Keith Michell.
Next week's stories will include the blind Sutton Manor secretary who suffered discrimination, the shock closure of a Sutton pet food firm, the petticoat battle plan to besiege Leathers chemical plant and the dangerous chimney in Sutton Manor.
This week's stories include the blitz on Haydock's slum homes, the golf balls pilfered from the new Sherdley Park driving range, the Rockware smoke emissions, the Victoria Square clean up, a retiring GP slams the loss of the doctor-patient relationship and the 100ft high Pocket Nook chimney that was having to be taken down brick by brick.
We begin on the 31st when the Runcorn Weekly News profiled Liverpool star midfielder Brian Hall who lived with his wife Mary and 15-month-old daughter Jane in Rainford.
"We love living in Rainford", said Brian. "It's quiet yet not too far from everything. And the daily trip in for training takes only twenty minutes."
Also on the 31st, a well-known Prescot doctor retired after more than 40 years in the medical profession.
Dr Paravasthu Sawmy came to this country from India in 1920 and qualified in England as a doctor before starting work at Whiston Hospital in 1928.
During his ten years there, Dr Sawmy carried out post-mortem examinations for the police but then left to start practices in St Helens, Prescot and Rainhill.
The 72-year-old's parting shot was to lament the creation of large group practices with multiple GPs, saying:
"People get knocked about from person to person. They don't see the same doctor, and the individual touch gets lost."
Dr Sawmy added that as a consequence, the doctor-patient relationship was "worn down to a bare thread" and said that in retirement he would still offer free advice to any of his former patients who requested it.
"The most backward town in the country for implementing the Clean Air Act", was what union leader John Taylor labelled St Helens this week.
That was after smoke from the Rockware glass factory at Pocket Nook (pictured above) had poured out of its chimneys causing breathing difficulties for some workers in the immediate area.
"The fumes were choking and there was a terrible smell", added Mr Taylor who worked for the transport department of the North Western Gas Board, opposite Rockware's premises.
"The smoke doesn't rise up", he added. "It hangs in the air, leaving a black deposit of gritty dust. And it goes on all day long."
Mr Taylor also claimed that St Helens was doing the least of all towns to combat pollution and called on the town's MP, Leslie Spriggs, to intervene.
The latter lived in Thornton Cleveleys and the union man felt that if Spriggs resided in St Helens rather than at the seaside, something would be done.
However, Rockware claimed that the smoke emissions had been a one-off, caused by a chimney fault which was being repaired. And St Helens Health Department strongly refuted Mr Taylor's claims of inaction, saying:
"There are other areas in Lancashire worse for pollution than St. Helens. We are tackling the problem as quickly as we can. Our smoke control programme for domestic buildings will be complete by 1975. It's smoke from coal fires rather than factory chimneys that is the greatest hazard."
A massive clean-up was due to begin this week in which buildings fronting Victoria Square in St Helens (pictured above) would have decades of grime removed from their walls.
What was described as an "informal garden" was also going to be developed at the corner of Cotham Street and Victoria Square to "create a haven of rest in the town centre".
A council spokesman said they had many other such schemes in mind that they hoped to get underway within the next few months, "to make St. Helens a much more pleasant place to live in."
The Reporter was published on September 1st and published a photograph of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square framed against a backdrop of Century House. The caption read:
"Plans are in hand to move the statue of Queen Victoria, which has brooded over the scene in Victoria Square for so many years. Background contrast is provided by one of the town's newest buildings – Century House."
The paper described how a "blitz" was to be made on Haydock's "slum homes". However, there were not all that many properties judged unfit for habitation – only 58 out of 5,207.
There were, though, 1,348 Haydock homes that needed improving to meet the Government's 12-point fitness standard. Nearly 500 of them were council houses and Haydock Council's Clerk, Hugh Pye, said:
"If we can get the unfit houses cleared and bring all our council houses up to requirements as soon as possible we will be well on the way to becoming an ideal housing authority."
British Rail was advertising in the Reporter day return trips from St Helens to London for just £2.50, "by special train at just about half fare". For children under 14, the cost was £1.25.
Harry Davies was pictured on the front page of the Reporter on top of a 100-ft high chimney in Pocket Nook.
The 47-year-old steeplejack from Frodsham Drive in Blackbrook had the task of taking down the old chimney – that had formerly been used by Varley's engineering works – brick-by-brick.
That was because it was situated too near to factories and a road for explosives to be used.
And so Harry was carefully picking his way round the 18-inch wide parapet and slowly chipping the bricks from beneath his feet. Harry told the Reporter:
"At one time I used to work in a gang, but there are not so many steeplejacks now. And I like working alone. This is a tough one, but I’ve been in this game for 20 years and it's not the first one I’ve done this way. You just have to work steadily. I go round once and then knock off for a smoke. It was at 100ft. when I started last week. Now it's down to about 80ft. But it'll get thicker as I go down so it should take about six weeks to reach the bottom."
The Reporter also described how the new Sherdley Park driving range had been shedding 400 golf balls a week since the facility opened in May.
Ted Gallagher, the council's Deputy Director of Parks, told the paper that most of the balls were vanishing into children's pockets:
"We have already had to replace our entire stock of balls. Normally we have about three to four thousand. But it has been difficult to keep it up. We certainly didn't expect to lose so much."
In spite of a 5-ft. high fence with spikes that enclosed the driving range, the children were still managing to nip over it and nick the balls before staff could collect them.
"I can't see why the children want the balls," added Mr Gallagher. "They can't be much use to them, and because they are yellow they are easy to identify. On one occasion, we chased off two young children who were collecting the balls in two haversacks. They had picked up about 200."
However, several days later the Echo provided the answer, writing: "This season there is a shortage of golf balls, and the children are taking advantage of the law of supply and demand."
A Dunlop spokesman in London said there was a nationwide scarcity of golf balls and they had been rationing supplies to club professionals and shops.
On Merseyside a number of golf clubs told the Echo that they faced a difficult situation.
At Bowring Park golf course, near Huyton, an official said children were making money by selling balls at 10p each that they'd picked up while combing the course.
Clearly driving ranges were more fruitful for the enterprising kids than golf courses and the Echo added that at Sherdley Park they were considering buying a mechanical ball collector.
The youngsters at Sherdley had collected 5,000 golf balls worth 15p each since the driving range had opened at Whit.
The Reporter was also able to pronounce the Rainford Carnival that had taken place on the previous weekend a great success, with organisers forecasting a profit of at least £1,300.
That's around £20,000 in today's money and the cash would be used to pay for restoration work on the Parish Church.
Treasurer Ronnie Moss said: "It's quite a problem organising something like this and getting it off the ground. But there's a terrific community spirit in Rainford. All denominations came forward to help and support us. We're extremely grateful."
And finally, for 7 days from the 3rd, Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' was screened at the Capitol and at the ABC Savoy it was 'Henry VIII and His Six Wives', starring Keith Michell.
Next week's stories will include the blind Sutton Manor secretary who suffered discrimination, the shock closure of a Sutton pet food firm, the petticoat battle plan to besiege Leathers chemical plant and the dangerous chimney in Sutton Manor.
We begin on the 31st when the Runcorn Weekly News profiled Liverpool star midfielder Brian Hall who lived with his wife Mary and 15-month-old daughter Jane in Rainford.
"We love living in Rainford", said Brian. "It's quiet yet not too far from everything. And the daily trip in for training takes only twenty minutes."
Also on the 31st, a well-known Prescot doctor retired after more than 40 years in the medical profession.
Dr Paravasthu Sawmy came to this country from India in 1920 and qualified in England as a doctor before starting work at Whiston Hospital in 1928.
During his ten years there, Dr Sawmy carried out post-mortem examinations for the police but then left to start practices in St Helens, Prescot and Rainhill.
The 72-year-old's parting shot was to lament the creation of large group practices with multiple GPs, saying:
"People get knocked about from person to person. They don't see the same doctor, and the individual touch gets lost."
Dr Sawmy added that as a consequence, the doctor-patient relationship was "worn down to a bare thread" and said that in retirement he would still offer free advice to any of his former patients who requested it.
"The most backward town in the country for implementing the Clean Air Act", was what union leader John Taylor labelled St Helens this week.
"The fumes were choking and there was a terrible smell", added Mr Taylor who worked for the transport department of the North Western Gas Board, opposite Rockware's premises.
"The smoke doesn't rise up", he added. "It hangs in the air, leaving a black deposit of gritty dust. And it goes on all day long."
Mr Taylor also claimed that St Helens was doing the least of all towns to combat pollution and called on the town's MP, Leslie Spriggs, to intervene.
The latter lived in Thornton Cleveleys and the union man felt that if Spriggs resided in St Helens rather than at the seaside, something would be done.
However, Rockware claimed that the smoke emissions had been a one-off, caused by a chimney fault which was being repaired. And St Helens Health Department strongly refuted Mr Taylor's claims of inaction, saying:
"There are other areas in Lancashire worse for pollution than St. Helens. We are tackling the problem as quickly as we can. Our smoke control programme for domestic buildings will be complete by 1975. It's smoke from coal fires rather than factory chimneys that is the greatest hazard."
What was described as an "informal garden" was also going to be developed at the corner of Cotham Street and Victoria Square to "create a haven of rest in the town centre".
A council spokesman said they had many other such schemes in mind that they hoped to get underway within the next few months, "to make St. Helens a much more pleasant place to live in."
The Reporter was published on September 1st and published a photograph of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square framed against a backdrop of Century House. The caption read:
"Plans are in hand to move the statue of Queen Victoria, which has brooded over the scene in Victoria Square for so many years. Background contrast is provided by one of the town's newest buildings – Century House."
The paper described how a "blitz" was to be made on Haydock's "slum homes". However, there were not all that many properties judged unfit for habitation – only 58 out of 5,207.
There were, though, 1,348 Haydock homes that needed improving to meet the Government's 12-point fitness standard. Nearly 500 of them were council houses and Haydock Council's Clerk, Hugh Pye, said:
"If we can get the unfit houses cleared and bring all our council houses up to requirements as soon as possible we will be well on the way to becoming an ideal housing authority."
British Rail was advertising in the Reporter day return trips from St Helens to London for just £2.50, "by special train at just about half fare". For children under 14, the cost was £1.25.
Harry Davies was pictured on the front page of the Reporter on top of a 100-ft high chimney in Pocket Nook.
The 47-year-old steeplejack from Frodsham Drive in Blackbrook had the task of taking down the old chimney – that had formerly been used by Varley's engineering works – brick-by-brick.
That was because it was situated too near to factories and a road for explosives to be used.
And so Harry was carefully picking his way round the 18-inch wide parapet and slowly chipping the bricks from beneath his feet. Harry told the Reporter:
"At one time I used to work in a gang, but there are not so many steeplejacks now. And I like working alone. This is a tough one, but I’ve been in this game for 20 years and it's not the first one I’ve done this way. You just have to work steadily. I go round once and then knock off for a smoke. It was at 100ft. when I started last week. Now it's down to about 80ft. But it'll get thicker as I go down so it should take about six weeks to reach the bottom."
The Reporter also described how the new Sherdley Park driving range had been shedding 400 golf balls a week since the facility opened in May.
Ted Gallagher, the council's Deputy Director of Parks, told the paper that most of the balls were vanishing into children's pockets:
"We have already had to replace our entire stock of balls. Normally we have about three to four thousand. But it has been difficult to keep it up. We certainly didn't expect to lose so much."
In spite of a 5-ft. high fence with spikes that enclosed the driving range, the children were still managing to nip over it and nick the balls before staff could collect them.
"I can't see why the children want the balls," added Mr Gallagher. "They can't be much use to them, and because they are yellow they are easy to identify. On one occasion, we chased off two young children who were collecting the balls in two haversacks. They had picked up about 200."
However, several days later the Echo provided the answer, writing: "This season there is a shortage of golf balls, and the children are taking advantage of the law of supply and demand."
A Dunlop spokesman in London said there was a nationwide scarcity of golf balls and they had been rationing supplies to club professionals and shops.
On Merseyside a number of golf clubs told the Echo that they faced a difficult situation.
At Bowring Park golf course, near Huyton, an official said children were making money by selling balls at 10p each that they'd picked up while combing the course.
Clearly driving ranges were more fruitful for the enterprising kids than golf courses and the Echo added that at Sherdley Park they were considering buying a mechanical ball collector.
The youngsters at Sherdley had collected 5,000 golf balls worth 15p each since the driving range had opened at Whit.
The Reporter was also able to pronounce the Rainford Carnival that had taken place on the previous weekend a great success, with organisers forecasting a profit of at least £1,300.
That's around £20,000 in today's money and the cash would be used to pay for restoration work on the Parish Church.
Treasurer Ronnie Moss said: "It's quite a problem organising something like this and getting it off the ground. But there's a terrific community spirit in Rainford. All denominations came forward to help and support us. We're extremely grateful."
And finally, for 7 days from the 3rd, Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' was screened at the Capitol and at the ABC Savoy it was 'Henry VIII and His Six Wives', starring Keith Michell.
Next week's stories will include the blind Sutton Manor secretary who suffered discrimination, the shock closure of a Sutton pet food firm, the petticoat battle plan to besiege Leathers chemical plant and the dangerous chimney in Sutton Manor.