THERE was such a magnificent response to last week’s feature on the loved but now lost institutions of St Helens that we thought we would share 10 more.
And in sharing them we would love readers to get involved with your recollections, no matter how small.
Providence Hospital.
Countless St Helens folk will have memories of this Tolver Street hospital, particularly being attended to by Sister Duffy.
Opened in 1884, the hospital was a well-loved institution in town and treated countless thousands of patients over the decades.
Despite a huge ‘Save the Prov’ campaign of petitioning and fundraising the hospital closed on 30 June, 1982.
Kathleen Duffy, who was given the Freedom of the Borough in 2001, passed away in 2015 aged 85 – but her name still lives on in rugby league talk with the “Sister Duffy pass” the name of a an unwelcome short ball that leaves the recipient getting a clobbering.
What are your memories of Sister Duffy and the Prov?
Tyrer’s department store was a dominant feature on the streets of St Helens for 128 years until its closure in 2016.
The five-storey store and restaurant on Bridge Street was a well-known centrepiece in the town centre and was one of the last remaining independent department stores in the North West.
It was a bitter blow for the whole of the town centre when it lost its flagship store.
The Charcoal on the corner of Claughton Street was one of the town's most popular restaurants for more than 50 years.
Originally launched in 1966, the restaurant was renowned for its traditional English dishes and beef steaks and has been a favourite for generations.
For decades no Christmas works do was complete without a trip to the Charcoal, but sadly it closed its doors for the last time in 2018.
The Savoy.
Located on the corner Bridge Street site where the Chinese Buffet now stands, the Savoy Picture House first opened in 1935. It expanded from a single screen to a three-screen venue in the 1978.
It closed in 1993 and was then demolished, leaving St Helens without a cinema until Cineworld was built.
The Capitol.
The Cap – or the ABC Capitol – was located on the corner of Duke Street and North Road, where the HAMMA gym now stands. The 'Cap' opened in the 1920s and was the largest picture house in town with a capacity of 1,550. It closed in 1978.
The cinema was huge in the days before people had colour TV and when Netflix was a pipedream.
What are your memories of these two cinemas – and what was the best film you ever saw there?
Clock Face Crisps.
Anyone remember tasting these St Helens-produced savouries in a distinctive bag before the massive brands took over the market?
And while we are on it let’s start the old debate about what was the time on a bag of Clock Face crisps?
Lennon’s.
Lennon’s had a number of stores but the one on Ormskirk Street, which opened in July 1963, was something of a ground-breaking one.
It was on the site of the old Scala cinema and is where Iceland is now – with the store credited with introducing Green Shield stamps to the North West.
Lennon’s sold up their supermarkets and off-licences in the mid 80s – with the stores becoming Gateway.
Nevin’s.
Another St Helens institution with countless stores across the borough, including ones in the town centre at Barrow Street and maybe earlier in Bridge Street.
There were certainly other Nevin’s stores in Haydock, Bleak Hill, Fingerpost and Thatto Heath.
Do you remember your local Nevin’s? Did you work there? And what was so good about it?
Everson’s Cake Shop and Café.
Ok, to give the much-loved Westfield Street business its proper title it had Everson’s Restaurant and Patisserie emblazoned across the attractive frontage.
It was a place where many a town centre worker or St Helens Tech College student would nip for a tasty savoury or sweet treat.
There was a café upstairs, too, which was hugely popular back then.
It was located on the same side, but opposite corner to the Royal Hotel where they eventually built the Nexus nightclub.
Did you order your wedding cake from here – or your Christmas treats?
Another long-gone St Helens institution that left many fond memories – and we would be delighted to hear yours, especially if you worked there.
Oxley’s.
Another loved but lost St Helens department store from an era when local shoppers were spoilt for choice.
It was located on Claughton Street, where it joins Barrow Street, and was a hugely popular store. It eventually closed and became Oo-bi-doo.
If anything in this article has stirred your memory, if you worked in any of the above places or have photos of you and your colleagues then get in touch.
Email: mike.critchley@nqnw.co.uk
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