Take a trip down memory lane with these nostalgic St Helens pictures

The £90m project aims to address declining high street trends and give the town a much-needed boost, with a new market hall, homes, offices, hotel, and retail space making up the bulk of the first phase of plans.

To move forward and prevent further decline, residents agree that the town centre is in urgent need of transformation, but this doesn't mean that many don't hark back for the 'good old days' and how things used to be.

With some town centre landmarks like Helena House, the Fleece Hotel and Savoy lost over the years, and places like the Hardshaw Centre set to follow them during the regeneration plans, here are a handful of nostalgic images and information about the town centre from times gone by.

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The Savoy and Capitol

The Savoy before its demolition (Image: Phillip Mayer)

The ABC Capitol, at the corner of Duke Street and North Road (Image: Contributed)
Located on the corner Bridge Street site where the Chinese Buffet now stands, the Savoy Picture House was a popular cinema built in the 1930s. It expanded from a single screen to a three-screen venue in the 1978 until it closed in 1993 and was then demolished.

A short walk away, a second cinema was another prominent venue in the town centre, with the ABC Capitol located on the corner of Duke Street and North Road, where the HAMMA fitness gym now stands. The 'Cap' opened in the 1920s and had various refurbishments before its closure in the late 70s.

Church Street and Church Square

Marks & Spencers and Woolworths along Church Street in te 1960s (Image: St Helens Archives)
The Church Square fountain (Image: St Helens Archives)
A busy Church Street in the 1970s (Image: Carol Southward)
Over the years, a shift towards online shopping and retail parks has had a big impact on high streets and town centres, but these pictures show the busy times that have frequented Church Street and Church Square.

Marks & Spencers and Woolworths were huge employers for St Helens, which encouraged further investment in the town, until they closed their doors in 2019 and 2009 respectively.

These pictures also show Church Square flowerbeds in the 1960s and the fountain which was paid for by Pilkington Glass.

The Hardshaw Centre and Kes

The Hardshaw Centre and Toy and Hobby on Church Street (Image: John Millgan)
Kes the kid eating snake in the Hardshaw Centre (Image: Peter Hand)
While the Hardshaw Centre is set to be demolished in the council's regeneration plans, many remember it as a bustling shopping centre since its opening in the 1980s.

One of the most popular places inside the centre for kids was the Kes wooden slide and play den, created by scupltor Peter Hand and dubbed Kes as the 'kid eating snake' by Sintelliners.

The council has said that an outdoor 'Kes' play area will be a part of its regeneration plans, with nostalgic elements planned to 'stir up people's memories.

Tyrers, Helena House, Fleece Hotel

Tyrers department store on Bridge Street (Image: St Helens Archives)

Helena House on Baldwin Street (Image: Contributed)

Fleece Hotel on Church Street (Image: Contributed)
One of the most dominant features of St Helens town centre, Tyrers department store stood proud for 128 years on Bridge Street, until its closure in 2016.

While the Tyrers building is still standing, and converted into apartments on its upper floors, two other town centre landmarks such as Helena House and the Fleece Hotel have been lost in St Helens.

Many loved the shops, cafe, restaurant and ballroom inside the Baldwin Street Helena House until its demolition in the 1980s, with many more enjoying a visit to the grand Fleece Hotel before it was also bulldozed that same decade. 

Westfield Street

Westfield Street in the 1960s (Image: St Helens Archives)

The iconic Beechams building at the end of Westfield Street (Image: St Helens Archives)
For a number of decades, Westfield Street was a bustling area full of traditional and independent shops such as jewellers, cafes, a post office, and pubs. The road finished with the iconic Beechams building, a pharmaceutical giant that was a major employer in the town.

Over the years, the street has moved more into an area centred for the night-time economy, although there are still a handful of trusted daytime shops like Burchalls bakery, Kaleidoscope records, and Momo's cafe. The Beechams building is currently under development to be converted into apartments.

Westfield Street and the areas surrounding St Helens College are included in the 'Education and Entertainment' phase of the council's regeneration plans.

The area is intended to remain as a "mixed-use, retail, and leisure development", with "enhancements to the public realm and pedestrian connectivity". Upgrades to the general aesthetic and buildings on Westfield Street are also set to follow.