Secret St Helens
Published on 15. November 2019
Book
Paperback/Softback
96 pages
978-1-4456-8974-6 (ISBN)
Description
In 2018, St Helens celebrated its 150th anniversary as a town. In this book, Sue Gerrard traces the fascinating and hidden heritage of this Lancashire town, which began life as four townships and became a municipal borough in 1868.
During the Industrial Revolution, St Helens developed extensively with the coal mining and glassmaking in the area. It was the birthplace of the world's first passenger railway and the world's first navigable canal. Indeed, there is a place where these two 'firsts' cross each other. Industrial giants such as Pilkington Glass and Beecham's Pills also started life here.
The town was also home to three-time Oscar winner George Groves (film sound engineer), the actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter Colin Welland (Chariots of Fire) as well as the chart-topping Rick Astley. Hollywood actors Herbert Mundin and Gary Stretch were also born here. Although Saints Rugby League lead the way with sport, champion motorcyclist Geoff Duke lived here, and there are many more sporting personalities from the town.
As well as people, places and events, Secret St Helens will also explore historical buildings, such as the fifteenth-century Windleshaw Chantry, and the town's role in the modern world, including its influence on the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
During the Industrial Revolution, St Helens developed extensively with the coal mining and glassmaking in the area. It was the birthplace of the world's first passenger railway and the world's first navigable canal. Indeed, there is a place where these two 'firsts' cross each other. Industrial giants such as Pilkington Glass and Beecham's Pills also started life here.
The town was also home to three-time Oscar winner George Groves (film sound engineer), the actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter Colin Welland (Chariots of Fire) as well as the chart-topping Rick Astley. Hollywood actors Herbert Mundin and Gary Stretch were also born here. Although Saints Rugby League lead the way with sport, champion motorcyclist Geoff Duke lived here, and there are many more sporting personalities from the town.
As well as people, places and events, Secret St Helens will also explore historical buildings, such as the fifteenth-century Windleshaw Chantry, and the town's role in the modern world, including its influence on the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Chalford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
100 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 165 mm
Weight
303 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4456-8974-6 (9781445689746)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Sue Gerrard was born in St Helens and has lived there most of her life. She has worked as a chartered librarian, a journalist and a lecturer at the University Centre, St. Helens. She currently teaches online for the National Collegiate of Colleges. Sue has written several local history books, including 'Secret St. Helens', nine books of poetry, a collection of ghost stories and two novellas. She performs her own work and has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival and Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. She co-wrote the musical 'The Childe of Hale' and regularly exhibits her work in galleries throughout the North West of England. Sue has twice been awarded the' Robert Lord Writing Residency' in New Zealand which resulted in the poetry collection 'Poems the Cottage' being published there by Apple Tree Press.