HAPPY Birthday St Helens 


With the town in which we live right now reaching its 150th birthday,

 
It starts me thinking back in time when life expectancy was less than 50. 


The sky was thick with noxious fog that billowed from the towers, 


People working until they dropped exhausted by the hours. 


When Queen Victoria granted St Helens a prayed for municipal charter, 


The borough contained Sutton, Parr, Windle, Eccleston and the town centre for a starter. 


With industry using the status as a launchpad for their growing businesses, 


They soon added Newton, Rainford, Billinge, Whiston, Ashton; Quite some distances.


Newspapers both local and national queued up to call St Helens ‘grimy, repugnant and dreary’, 


With all the smoke, chemical fumes and sewage stench, it wasn’t a nice place clearly. 


But with entrepreneurs like Pilkington and Beechams, plans were put in place for change, 


The town had a gas supply, electricity was on its way, there were even plans for drains. 


Many workers were treated with less value than the horses they owned, 
Mr Thomas Beecham, started as a farmer until into town he rode.


Starting with mixtures he had tested and used on his cattle, 


With mass production, advertising, his tonic made the tin rattle. 


These days St Helens is sadly regaining its past reputation, 


Despite the highs of mining, glass, train and canal destinations. 


All these trades faded away with time, not much was left for St Helens, 


Crime, poverty, disrespect and addictions were lasting imperfections.


But life has a way of changing things in ways we don’t expect, 


So for now we can start to rebuild a town that we can respect. 


Things don’t happen overnight and we must all play our own part, 


In helping to give St Helens 


what it deserves, and that’s 


A FRESH START. 


Tamsin Mckie, 
Address supplied