THE recent article on the lost pubs of St Helens raised plenty of interest – particularly on social media.

If you recall we outlined some of the town’s long lost boozers – including a list of hostelries with intriguing names.

Many of these were close more than a century ago – and yet we have still had a response from readers.

Closed St Helens Pubs.

Hare & Hounds, Eccleston Street, closed 1977.

Druids Arms, Ashcroft Street, closed November 1970.

Cuerdley Arms, Church Street, demolished December 1970.

Bears Paw, Westfield Street, closed 1950.

Young Prince, Westfield Street, closed April 1950.

Red, White & Blue, Westfield Street.

Churn Inn, Tontine Street, 1935.

Crystal Palace, Waterdale Crescent, closed 1935.

Ell Bess Vaults, Sherdley Road, closed 1932.

Red Rat Inn, Ellamsbridge Road, closed 1927.

Van Tromp, Church Street, closed 1922.

Soldier, Peasley Cross Lane, closed 1922.

Quiet Woman, Heath Street, closed 1912.

Hero Inn, Ashcroft Street, closed 1911.

Three Asses, Duke Street, closed Feb 1908.

Nancy Hotel, Pocket Nook Street, closed 1907.

Same Place Again, Baldwin Steet, closed 1906.

St Helens Star:

The original article featured a photograph of the Grange Park Hotel on Prescot Road – which brought back fond memories from Louise Hampson.

She wrote to tell us: “I was born in the public bar of The Grange Park on 29th November 1956. My Grandparents, Ann & Ernest Critchley were the Tenants.

“Apparently on that night there was a large fire at Pilkingtons and there were no ambulances available.

“I was delivered by a local district nurse (Cunliffe) assisted by my Grandmother.

“Exact dates have been as little lost with the passing of time but the Critchleys had run The Grange from around 1949 to 1958.

“Previously they had been at the Nelson in Bridge Street. They then developed The Grange and the family remembers them doing wedding receptions.

"Following that, Ann and Ernest moved to the Bottle and Glass in Rainford and remained there as Tenants until Jimmy Griffin took over in 1972.

“I often stayed at The Bottle through my teenage years whilst my Step Father served in the forces in Germany.

“Ann and Ernest finished their years in Springfield Lane in Eccleston reaching 97 and 93 respectively and passed within months of each other in 2003.

“The family were sad to hear of the passing of Jimmy Griffin just last month.”

Going further back, Arthur from Sutton informed us of a story that is in pub legend about the Red Rat in Ellamsbridge Road, which closed down almost a century ago.

He called to say: “I have read stories that the Red Rat in Sutton was the only pub called that in the whole country.

“It got its name due to the number of reddish-brown rats in the area, with their coats dyed from the industrial pollution in the ‘Stinky Brook’ that ran by the pub. They reckon the place was snooin’ with rats at the time.”

Joe Morris emailed about the Quiet Woman, which was located in Heath Street, Nutgrove – and closed as a pub in 1912 but has had a number of uses since.

He said: “I lived there with my parents Joe and Alice Morris and brother Vincent from 1953 when it became J & A Morris general store.

“Prior to us moving to Heath St, the premises were used by Halliwell the Chemist shop.

“The shop later became a family home.

“The house still retains some of the charms of the Quiet Woman, stone floor, wood ceiling and original fireplace above which is the pub sign ‘Quiet Woman’."

Keep your pub tales coming: mike.critchley@nqnw.co.uk