FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (30th JAN. - 5th FEB. 1973)
This week's many stories include the row over the alleged lead poisoning of St Helens children, John Molyneux's Victoria Cross is auctioned at Sotheby's, an update on the extension of the Victoria Square war memorial, St Helens is revealed as one of the country's dirtiest towns and the three puppeteer police officers teaching road safety at infant schools.
When Frankie Vaughan came to St Helens on December 8th 1956 to open Rothery Records, the 28-year-old was a huge star and his appearance caused mayhem amongst teenage fans. I expect the audience at the Theatre Royal on the 30th of this week was a bit more sedate when Frankie returned to the town! The singer was performing on a variety bill that also featured ventriloquist Keith Harris, the V-Men and Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang.
On the 31st John Molyneux's Victoria Cross and other war medals and memorabilia came up for auction at Sotheby's in London. The sale had been controversial with his son Joseph Molyneux telling the Reporter that he was not prepared to donate his late father's VC to St Helens:
"I don't see any reason why the town should have it. Dad always said they didn't do much for him. If the corporation want the Victoria Cross let them bid for it. Sotheby's said I could expect between £1,700 and £2,000 for the VC. It will be a nice little nest egg. I can take my wife and daughter on a holiday."
St Helens Corporation had decided that they could not spend public money at an auction and in the end the lot went to Sgt. Molyneux's old regiment for £2,100. The Royal Fusiliers then announced that they would put the medals on display in the Tower of London.
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health was this week embroiled in a row with London Weekend Television. Dr Julian Baines criticised the TV firm for frightening St Helens parents into believing that the lead content in their children's blood was over the safety limit. However, LWT hit back, saying that their comments based on sampling were fully justified. They had arranged for thirteen of the town's children aged between two and seven to be tested for lead poisoning and insisted that their results showed that six of them were over the safety level.
But Dr Baines had ordered his own tests on the same children and although not all of the results had come back from the lab, the youngsters with the highest lead levels in the LWT tests had done much better in his. That, he insisted, was because of the way the blood samples were taken. The TV company's team had used a fingerprick, whereas Dr Baines' staff had taken blood from a vein.
Health issues were very much under the spotlight this week, as the Department of Trade and Industry released the results of their national survey into pollution. St Helens was pinpointed as a grim spot in one of the country's dirtiest regions – however, things were improving. Since the early 1960s, the smoke in the town's atmosphere had been reduced by 55% and sulphur dioxide pollution cut by 40%.
The town centre with its many domestic chimneys was among the eight smokiest areas in the north-west that the survey covered during the winters of 1968 and 1969. The Greenbank district of St Helens around Liverpool Road was described in the report as "one of the most polluted in the region" and was dirtier now than it had been in 1966. So was the West Park area.
In St Helens only Clinkham Wood residents could breathe air that did not contain more sulphur dioxide than the average for towns in the north-west. And the Duke Street area was the only other spot in the town showing an improvement in levels of sulphur dioxide. A spokesman for the air pollution laboratory involved said: "St. Helens is one of the most sulphur dioxide polluted towns in the UK. But it's not as bad as Merseyside or Manchester. A large part of the town is now smoke controlled, so it can't be said that present pollution is due to lack of action."
The St Helens Reporter on the 2nd provided an update on the changes that were set to take place at the Victoria Square war memorial. Last year under pressure from the Royal British Legion, the council had decided that the names of the 447 local servicemen who had been killed in WW2 should be inscribed on four granite tablets. The St Helens Chief Architect Derek Billam said that preparations were now being made to lift the block of granite that bore all the inscribed names into position – but there had been a surprise:
"One of the surprising things is that we are still getting names to add to the list. In the past month we have had 10 names given in to us for inclusion. These will be added to an addendum list, which will eventually go round the base of the memorial. There is still a lot of opposition to the alterations to the cenotaph, but I don't think they realised just what would be done to it." The Royal British Legion said they were very pleased with the progress and they planned to hold a dedication ceremony when the work was finished – hopefully, at the end of February.
The Reporter also described a plan by the newly formed Community Council on the Four Acre Lane estate to cure their crippling vandalism problem. During the previous 18 months teenagers had been blamed for causing £30,000 worth of damage to the new Sutton Manor housing estate. But council vice-chairman Bill Roughsedge felt the solution was to invite the disruptive youngsters into their new community centre to alleviate the boredom that he thought was the root cause of the trouble:
"The people here have come from clearance areas in the town centre where they had a choice of things to do on hand. Now they've moved here on the outskirts where there is absolutely nothing to do, and they just aren't used to it." The centre was due to open as a temporary measure in a former site building that contractors had left behind. Members of the Community Council had been going round the estate door-to-door drumming up support for the community centre. It was being made available on a rota basis to all age groups – with the events planned including a mother and baby club and pensioners' meetings.
The Reporter also described the three puppeteer police officers that were teaching road safety to school kids. PCs Sid Cobbold and Duncan Thomas and policewoman Elaine Evans (as she was described) formed the Accident Prevention Branch of the St Helens Police Division. Constable Cobbold told the paper that pulling strings was the best way to get the attention of their young audience:
"If you just go in for a talk, they don’t want to know. So you’re always looking for some new visual aid. We invite the children to ask the puppets questions on road safety – if the puppet comes up with the wrong answer, the kids soon tell it the right one – with a bit of prompting!" So far the trio had only been visiting infant schools in the Whiston and Prescot area, but they planned to cover the whole St Helens division soon.
Also in the paper, Helena House was advertising a "huge clearance sale" of washable wigs in 20 colours at the "give away price" of 99p. And finally a film guide. At the Capitol from the 4th, Ken Russell's 'The Music Lovers' with Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson began a week's screenings. And at the ABC Savoy in Bridge Street, Stanley Kubrick's 'Clockwork Orange' was retained for a second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the high number of betting shops in St Helens, a bus hits a pram in Warrington New Road, the Talbot Street home infested with mice, the new Sherdley Park golf course and why Clock Face Road looked like a Christmas card.
When Frankie Vaughan came to St Helens on December 8th 1956 to open Rothery Records, the 28-year-old was a huge star and his appearance caused mayhem amongst teenage fans. I expect the audience at the Theatre Royal on the 30th of this week was a bit more sedate when Frankie returned to the town! The singer was performing on a variety bill that also featured ventriloquist Keith Harris, the V-Men and Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang.
"I don't see any reason why the town should have it. Dad always said they didn't do much for him. If the corporation want the Victoria Cross let them bid for it. Sotheby's said I could expect between £1,700 and £2,000 for the VC. It will be a nice little nest egg. I can take my wife and daughter on a holiday."
St Helens Corporation had decided that they could not spend public money at an auction and in the end the lot went to Sgt. Molyneux's old regiment for £2,100. The Royal Fusiliers then announced that they would put the medals on display in the Tower of London.
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health was this week embroiled in a row with London Weekend Television. Dr Julian Baines criticised the TV firm for frightening St Helens parents into believing that the lead content in their children's blood was over the safety limit. However, LWT hit back, saying that their comments based on sampling were fully justified. They had arranged for thirteen of the town's children aged between two and seven to be tested for lead poisoning and insisted that their results showed that six of them were over the safety level.
But Dr Baines had ordered his own tests on the same children and although not all of the results had come back from the lab, the youngsters with the highest lead levels in the LWT tests had done much better in his. That, he insisted, was because of the way the blood samples were taken. The TV company's team had used a fingerprick, whereas Dr Baines' staff had taken blood from a vein.
Health issues were very much under the spotlight this week, as the Department of Trade and Industry released the results of their national survey into pollution. St Helens was pinpointed as a grim spot in one of the country's dirtiest regions – however, things were improving. Since the early 1960s, the smoke in the town's atmosphere had been reduced by 55% and sulphur dioxide pollution cut by 40%.
The town centre with its many domestic chimneys was among the eight smokiest areas in the north-west that the survey covered during the winters of 1968 and 1969. The Greenbank district of St Helens around Liverpool Road was described in the report as "one of the most polluted in the region" and was dirtier now than it had been in 1966. So was the West Park area.
In St Helens only Clinkham Wood residents could breathe air that did not contain more sulphur dioxide than the average for towns in the north-west. And the Duke Street area was the only other spot in the town showing an improvement in levels of sulphur dioxide. A spokesman for the air pollution laboratory involved said: "St. Helens is one of the most sulphur dioxide polluted towns in the UK. But it's not as bad as Merseyside or Manchester. A large part of the town is now smoke controlled, so it can't be said that present pollution is due to lack of action."
"One of the surprising things is that we are still getting names to add to the list. In the past month we have had 10 names given in to us for inclusion. These will be added to an addendum list, which will eventually go round the base of the memorial. There is still a lot of opposition to the alterations to the cenotaph, but I don't think they realised just what would be done to it." The Royal British Legion said they were very pleased with the progress and they planned to hold a dedication ceremony when the work was finished – hopefully, at the end of February.
The Reporter also described a plan by the newly formed Community Council on the Four Acre Lane estate to cure their crippling vandalism problem. During the previous 18 months teenagers had been blamed for causing £30,000 worth of damage to the new Sutton Manor housing estate. But council vice-chairman Bill Roughsedge felt the solution was to invite the disruptive youngsters into their new community centre to alleviate the boredom that he thought was the root cause of the trouble:
"The people here have come from clearance areas in the town centre where they had a choice of things to do on hand. Now they've moved here on the outskirts where there is absolutely nothing to do, and they just aren't used to it." The centre was due to open as a temporary measure in a former site building that contractors had left behind. Members of the Community Council had been going round the estate door-to-door drumming up support for the community centre. It was being made available on a rota basis to all age groups – with the events planned including a mother and baby club and pensioners' meetings.
The Reporter also described the three puppeteer police officers that were teaching road safety to school kids. PCs Sid Cobbold and Duncan Thomas and policewoman Elaine Evans (as she was described) formed the Accident Prevention Branch of the St Helens Police Division. Constable Cobbold told the paper that pulling strings was the best way to get the attention of their young audience:
"If you just go in for a talk, they don’t want to know. So you’re always looking for some new visual aid. We invite the children to ask the puppets questions on road safety – if the puppet comes up with the wrong answer, the kids soon tell it the right one – with a bit of prompting!" So far the trio had only been visiting infant schools in the Whiston and Prescot area, but they planned to cover the whole St Helens division soon.
Also in the paper, Helena House was advertising a "huge clearance sale" of washable wigs in 20 colours at the "give away price" of 99p. And finally a film guide. At the Capitol from the 4th, Ken Russell's 'The Music Lovers' with Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson began a week's screenings. And at the ABC Savoy in Bridge Street, Stanley Kubrick's 'Clockwork Orange' was retained for a second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the high number of betting shops in St Helens, a bus hits a pram in Warrington New Road, the Talbot Street home infested with mice, the new Sherdley Park golf course and why Clock Face Road looked like a Christmas card.
This week's many stories include the row over the alleged lead poisoning of St Helens children, John Molyneux's Victoria Cross is auctioned at Sotheby's, an update on the extension of the Victoria Square war memorial, St Helens is revealed as one of the country's dirtiest towns and the three puppeteer police officers teaching road safety at infant schools.
When Frankie Vaughan came to St Helens on December 8th 1956 to open Rothery Records, the 28-year-old was a huge star and his appearance caused mayhem amongst teenage fans.
I expect the audience at the Theatre Royal on the 30th of this week was a bit more sedate when Frankie returned to the town!
The singer was performing on a variety bill that also featured ventriloquist Keith Harris, the V-Men and Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang.
On the 31st John Molyneux's Victoria Cross and other war medals and memorabilia came up for auction at Sotheby's in London.
The sale had been controversial with his son Joseph Molyneux telling the Reporter that he was not prepared to donate his late father's VC to St Helens:
"I don't see any reason why the town should have it. Dad always said they didn't do much for him. If the corporation want the Victoria Cross let them bid for it.
"Sotheby's said I could expect between £1,700 and £2,000 for the VC. It will be a nice little nest egg. I can take my wife and daughter on a holiday."
St Helens Corporation had decided that they could not spend public money at an auction and in the end the lot went to Sgt. Molyneux's old regiment for £2,100.
The Royal Fusiliers then announced that they would put the medals on display in the Tower of London.
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health was this week embroiled in a row with London Weekend Television.
Dr Julian Baines criticised the TV firm for frightening St Helens parents into believing that the lead content in their children's blood was over the safety limit.
However, LWT hit back, saying that their comments based on sampling were fully justified.
They had arranged for thirteen of the town's children aged between two and seven to be tested for lead poisoning and insisted that their results showed that six of them were over the safety level.
But Dr Baines had ordered his own tests on the same children and although not all of the results had come back from the lab, the youngsters with the highest lead levels in the LWT tests had done much better in his.
That, he insisted, was because of the way the blood samples were taken. The TV company's team had used a fingerprick, whereas Dr Baines' staff had taken blood from a vein.
Health issues were very much under the spotlight this week, as the Department of Trade and Industry released the results of their national survey into pollution.
St Helens was pinpointed as a grim spot in one of the country's dirtiest regions – however, things were improving.
Since the early 1960s, the smoke in the town's atmosphere had been reduced by 55% and sulphur dioxide pollution cut by 40%.
The town centre with its many domestic chimneys was among the eight smokiest areas in the north-west that the survey covered during the winters of 1968 and 1969.
The Greenbank district of St Helens around Liverpool Road was described in the report as "one of the most polluted in the region" and was dirtier now than it had been in 1966. So was the West Park area.
In St Helens only Clinkham Wood residents could breathe air that did not contain more sulphur dioxide than the average for towns in the north-west.
And the Duke Street area was the only other spot in the town showing an improvement in levels of sulphur dioxide. A spokesman for the air pollution laboratory involved said:
"St. Helens is one of the most sulphur dioxide polluted towns in the UK. But it's not as bad as Merseyside or Manchester. A large part of the town is now smoke controlled, so it can't be said that present pollution is due to lack of action."
The St Helens Reporter on the 2nd provided an update on the changes that were set to take place at the Victoria Square war memorial.
Last year under pressure from the Royal British Legion, the council had decided that the names of the 447 local servicemen who had been killed in WW2 should be inscribed on four granite tablets.
The St Helens Chief Architect Derek Billam said that preparations were now being made to lift the block of granite that bore all the inscribed names into position – but there had been a surprise:
"One of the surprising things is that we are still getting names to add to the list. In the past month we have had 10 names given in to us for inclusion.
"These will be added to an addendum list, which will eventually go round the base of the memorial. There is still a lot of opposition to the alterations to the cenotaph, but I don't think they realised just what would be done to it."
Mr Billam added that the new blocks were expected to be in position by the end of February and the names of the St Helens' heroes had already been cut in Roman lettering and embossed in gold leaf.
The Royal British Legion said they were very pleased with the progress and they planned to hold a dedication ceremony when the work was finished – hopefully, at the end of February.
The Reporter also described a plan by the newly formed Community Council on the Four Acre Lane estate to cure their crippling vandalism problem.
During the previous 18 months teenagers had been blamed for causing £30,000 worth of damage to the new Sutton Manor housing estate.
But council vice-chairman Bill Roughsedge felt the solution was to invite the disruptive youngsters into their new community centre to alleviate the boredom that he thought was the root cause of the trouble:
"The people here have come from clearance areas in the town centre where they had a choice of things to do on hand. Now they've moved here on the outskirts where there is absolutely nothing to do, and they just aren't used to it."
The centre was due to open as a temporary measure in a former site building that contractors had left behind.
Members of the Community Council had been going round the estate door-to-door drumming up support for the community centre.
It was being made available on a rota basis to all age groups – with the events planned including a mother and baby club and pensioners' meetings.
The Reporter also described the three puppeteer police officers that were teaching road safety to school kids.
PCs Sid Cobbold and Duncan Thomas and policewoman Elaine Evans (as she was described) formed the Accident Prevention Branch of the St Helens Police Division.
Constable Cobbold told the paper that pulling strings was the best way to get the attention of their young audience:
"If you just go in for a talk, they don’t want to know. So you’re always looking for some new visual aid.
"We invite the children to ask the puppets questions on road safety – if the puppet comes up with the wrong answer, the kids soon tell it the right one – with a bit of prompting!"
So far the trio had only been visiting infant schools in the Whiston and Prescot area, but they planned to cover the whole St Helens division soon.
Also in the paper, Helena House was advertising a "huge clearance sale" of washable wigs in 20 colours at the "give away price" of 99p.
And finally a film guide. At the Capitol from the 4th, Ken Russell's 'The Music Lovers' with Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson began a week's screenings.
And at the ABC Savoy in Bridge Street, Stanley Kubrick's 'Clockwork Orange' was retained for a second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the high number of betting shops in St Helens, a bus hits a pram in Warrington New Road, the Talbot Street home infested with mice, the new Sherdley Park golf course and why Clock Face Road looked like a Christmas card.
When Frankie Vaughan came to St Helens on December 8th 1956 to open Rothery Records, the 28-year-old was a huge star and his appearance caused mayhem amongst teenage fans.
I expect the audience at the Theatre Royal on the 30th of this week was a bit more sedate when Frankie returned to the town!
The singer was performing on a variety bill that also featured ventriloquist Keith Harris, the V-Men and Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang.
The sale had been controversial with his son Joseph Molyneux telling the Reporter that he was not prepared to donate his late father's VC to St Helens:
"I don't see any reason why the town should have it. Dad always said they didn't do much for him. If the corporation want the Victoria Cross let them bid for it.
"Sotheby's said I could expect between £1,700 and £2,000 for the VC. It will be a nice little nest egg. I can take my wife and daughter on a holiday."
St Helens Corporation had decided that they could not spend public money at an auction and in the end the lot went to Sgt. Molyneux's old regiment for £2,100.
The Royal Fusiliers then announced that they would put the medals on display in the Tower of London.
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health was this week embroiled in a row with London Weekend Television.
Dr Julian Baines criticised the TV firm for frightening St Helens parents into believing that the lead content in their children's blood was over the safety limit.
However, LWT hit back, saying that their comments based on sampling were fully justified.
They had arranged for thirteen of the town's children aged between two and seven to be tested for lead poisoning and insisted that their results showed that six of them were over the safety level.
But Dr Baines had ordered his own tests on the same children and although not all of the results had come back from the lab, the youngsters with the highest lead levels in the LWT tests had done much better in his.
That, he insisted, was because of the way the blood samples were taken. The TV company's team had used a fingerprick, whereas Dr Baines' staff had taken blood from a vein.
Health issues were very much under the spotlight this week, as the Department of Trade and Industry released the results of their national survey into pollution.
St Helens was pinpointed as a grim spot in one of the country's dirtiest regions – however, things were improving.
Since the early 1960s, the smoke in the town's atmosphere had been reduced by 55% and sulphur dioxide pollution cut by 40%.
The town centre with its many domestic chimneys was among the eight smokiest areas in the north-west that the survey covered during the winters of 1968 and 1969.
The Greenbank district of St Helens around Liverpool Road was described in the report as "one of the most polluted in the region" and was dirtier now than it had been in 1966. So was the West Park area.
In St Helens only Clinkham Wood residents could breathe air that did not contain more sulphur dioxide than the average for towns in the north-west.
And the Duke Street area was the only other spot in the town showing an improvement in levels of sulphur dioxide. A spokesman for the air pollution laboratory involved said:
"St. Helens is one of the most sulphur dioxide polluted towns in the UK. But it's not as bad as Merseyside or Manchester. A large part of the town is now smoke controlled, so it can't be said that present pollution is due to lack of action."
Last year under pressure from the Royal British Legion, the council had decided that the names of the 447 local servicemen who had been killed in WW2 should be inscribed on four granite tablets.
The St Helens Chief Architect Derek Billam said that preparations were now being made to lift the block of granite that bore all the inscribed names into position – but there had been a surprise:
"One of the surprising things is that we are still getting names to add to the list. In the past month we have had 10 names given in to us for inclusion.
"These will be added to an addendum list, which will eventually go round the base of the memorial. There is still a lot of opposition to the alterations to the cenotaph, but I don't think they realised just what would be done to it."
Mr Billam added that the new blocks were expected to be in position by the end of February and the names of the St Helens' heroes had already been cut in Roman lettering and embossed in gold leaf.
The Royal British Legion said they were very pleased with the progress and they planned to hold a dedication ceremony when the work was finished – hopefully, at the end of February.
The Reporter also described a plan by the newly formed Community Council on the Four Acre Lane estate to cure their crippling vandalism problem.
During the previous 18 months teenagers had been blamed for causing £30,000 worth of damage to the new Sutton Manor housing estate.
But council vice-chairman Bill Roughsedge felt the solution was to invite the disruptive youngsters into their new community centre to alleviate the boredom that he thought was the root cause of the trouble:
"The people here have come from clearance areas in the town centre where they had a choice of things to do on hand. Now they've moved here on the outskirts where there is absolutely nothing to do, and they just aren't used to it."
The centre was due to open as a temporary measure in a former site building that contractors had left behind.
Members of the Community Council had been going round the estate door-to-door drumming up support for the community centre.
It was being made available on a rota basis to all age groups – with the events planned including a mother and baby club and pensioners' meetings.
The Reporter also described the three puppeteer police officers that were teaching road safety to school kids.
PCs Sid Cobbold and Duncan Thomas and policewoman Elaine Evans (as she was described) formed the Accident Prevention Branch of the St Helens Police Division.
Constable Cobbold told the paper that pulling strings was the best way to get the attention of their young audience:
"If you just go in for a talk, they don’t want to know. So you’re always looking for some new visual aid.
"We invite the children to ask the puppets questions on road safety – if the puppet comes up with the wrong answer, the kids soon tell it the right one – with a bit of prompting!"
So far the trio had only been visiting infant schools in the Whiston and Prescot area, but they planned to cover the whole St Helens division soon.
Also in the paper, Helena House was advertising a "huge clearance sale" of washable wigs in 20 colours at the "give away price" of 99p.
And finally a film guide. At the Capitol from the 4th, Ken Russell's 'The Music Lovers' with Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson began a week's screenings.
And at the ABC Savoy in Bridge Street, Stanley Kubrick's 'Clockwork Orange' was retained for a second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the high number of betting shops in St Helens, a bus hits a pram in Warrington New Road, the Talbot Street home infested with mice, the new Sherdley Park golf course and why Clock Face Road looked like a Christmas card.