After the success of his much-acclaimed first three volumes of The Hidden History of St Helens, social historian Stephen Wainwright has published his long-awaited follow-up.
Volume 4 of Hidden History is packed with more amazing stories uncovered from the local newspaper archives at Eccleston Library.
The 275-page book includes more than 130 images and contains 16 chapters.
A major research area for Stephen has been discovering how the people of St Helens took to new developments.
The result is a chapter called Those New Fangled Ideas! which comprises almost one quarter of the book and describes the introduction of such innovations as the bicycle, the motor car, aeroplane, telephone, traffic lights etc.
In 1869 the St Helens Newspaper described bicycles as "curious vehicles" as they explained how the new machines were going to be made by an Ormskirk Street firm. But when volunteers were invited to ride the first models they "came to grief", as the Newspaper put it.
Motor vehicles were treated very sceptically at first. In 1896 a feature writer in the St Helens Examiner wrote: "As yet motor cars are objects of curiosity, serving little purpose except as something to talk about", adding that their liability to blow up was "terrifying".
Aeroplane journeys were for many years short, novelty joy rides with no more than two or three passengers sat in open cockpits, well wrapped-up because of the cold and often wearing goggles.
When in 1929 the Deputy Mayor of St Helens, Ald Richard Waring, prepared to go on his maiden flight he said his wife had wondered why he'd emptied his pockets before leaving home. The alderman said he had told her: "I am going for a flight and there may be some looping the loop business and acrobatics in the air, and I don’t want my money dropping on the heads of the people."
Two years later when traffic lights were introduced in St Helens they were known as robots and the town was said to possess the first synchronised set in the country situated near the YMCA.
But the St Helens Newspaper called for the experiment to be abandoned and replaced by point duty bobbies, writing: "The Y.M.C.A. double crossing at present is unsafe, and it will not be safe again until we have a couple of capable policemen in charge once again."
The paper described the confusion caused by motorists assuming that the route connecting the two sets of lights was one that they were compelled to follow. That had led to motorists intending to drive to Rainford or Sutton ending up in Parr!
There are fifteen other chapters containing fascinating stories uncovered from the local newspaper archives.
Did you know that the first savings bank in St Helens had to be shut down due to a giant fraud by those that ran it?
The chapter called The Brothers That Broke The First St Helens Savings Bank explains all Or that some hairdressers used petrol on their customers' heads? The Petrol Shampoo At A St Helens Hairdressing Salon tells of one shocking outcome.
And The Sectarian Riot Of 1910 – St Helens' Own Bloody Sunday describes the last time religious hatred descended into mob violence on the town's streets.
The Tragedy And Heroism Of The Sandbeds Disaster relates how an unofficial playground amongst sand dumps off Borough Road took the lives of three children and how others were saved by courageous rescues.
And The Coroner's Poor Box describes how the misery of extreme poverty compounded by bereavement was alleviated by small gifts of cash.
But there's lots too that should make you smile! The Gorgeous Carnivals and Pageants of The Past revisits the celebrations of the 1930s when most people possessed very little but knew how to enjoy themselves.
There are some comical tales amongst St Helens Dogs That Have Made The News and there's a reminder when Ena Sharples ruled the roost in the chapter titled Coronation Street Stars Visits To St Helens In The Early 1960s.
The Hidden History of St Helens Vol 4 is available from the St Helens Book Stop at 11 Bridge Street. The book can also be ordered online via eBay and from Amazon (both free delivery). Price £12.
This Is The Full Chapter List:
• The Cruel Treatment Of Paupers By St Helens Relieving Officers – How some of those charged with supporting the very poorest in society could treat them with complete contempt.
• Those New Fangled Ideas! – How the people of St Helens took to new innovations, including the bicycle, motor car, aeroplane, telephone, traffic lights and the hearing aid. • The Church Street Subway Fire – In 1899 a 680-yard long subway was opened in Church Street in St Helens but eleven years later a freak fire occurred.
• The Brothers That Broke The First St Helens Savings Bank – The story of how in 1850 the inaugural savings bank in St Helens was shut down after a giant fraud by those that ran it.
• The Sectarian Riot Of 1910 – St Helens' Own Bloody Sunday – When religious hatred descended into mob violence on the town's streets.
• The Tragedy And Heroism Of The Sandbeds Disaster – The unofficial playground amongst sand dumps off Borough Road that in 1930 took the lives of three children and how courageous rescuers saved many other youngsters.
• The Coroner's Poor Box – This chapter describes how the misery of extreme poverty compounded by bereavement could be alleviated by small gifts of cash.
• Spectacular Manifestations & Extraordinary Weather In St Helens – Accounts of strange aerial activities and unusual weather phenomena, including bee swarms, freak thunderstorms and an earthquake.
• St Helens Dogs That Have Made The News – This chapter is devoted to a wide range of doggy activities that made the pages of the local newspapers with some quite comical and some sad.
• Memories Of The Old Days – A collection of recollections of what life was like in St Helens during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The Petrol Shampoo At A St Helens Hairdressing Salon – Petrol was popular as it was a quick-drying shampoo that was said to give a nice finish to hair – but it was also highly dangerous as one customer discovered to her cost.
• The Gorgeous Carnivals And Pageants Of The Past – This chapter revisits the celebrations of the 1930s when most people possessed very little but knew how to enjoy themselves.
• “Dear Sir” – A Collection Of Curious Correspondence Part 3 – More letters that were published in the St Helens' newspapers, with this collection from the first half of the 20th century.
• The Goings On In The Gamble's Central Library – Stories of the bookies, rowdies, lurkers, leerers and snorers in the library, as well as the women that fought over books.
• Coronation Street Stars' Visits To St Helens In The Early 1960s – Including Violet Carson (aka Ena Sharples), Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner), Lynne Carol (Martha Longhurst), Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) and Philip Lowrie (Dennis Tanner).
• The Weird & Wonderful Things St Helens Folk Have Said Part 2 – More short often comical comments that were made by the wits of the town – and the witless!
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