Kirjahaku

The Lancashire town of Wigan has prehistoric roots and developed in importance through Roman and medieval times. It played a leading role in the English Civil War, being occupied by the Parliamentarians. It grew dramatically during the Industrial Revolution, with its coal mines and cotton industry, and later came to prominence thanks to George Orwell’s book The Road to Wigan Pier, which documented the poverty of the working classes in the 1930s. In this book, author Sue Gerrard explores the town’s history and seeks out some lesser-known stories and surprising aspects of its heritage along the way. Wigan is a sporting centre as it has both a rugby league team, the Wigan Warriors, and Wigan Athletic Football Club, who won the FA Cup in 2013. Over the decades it has been home to actors Sir Ian McKellen and Roy Kinnear, and comedians George Formby, Frank Randle and Ted Ray. Secret Wigan includes historical sites such as the thirteenth-century Mab’s Cross right through to the town’s place in the modern world. From mills to Mint Balls, coal to cavaliers and notable buildings to Northern Soul, this fascinating book will interest residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.

St Helens has a proud history of innovation, industrialisation, invention and entertainment. It started life as four townships, Eccleston, Parr, Sutton and Windle, but with the birth of the Industrial Revolution it became a centre for industries such as glassmaking, coal mining and copper smelting. By the time it became a municipal borough in 1868, it was the cradle of the world’s transport system. The first navigable waterway in the country, the Sankey Canal, opened in 1757, while the world’s first passenger railway, the Liverpool to Manchester line, opened in 1830. However, it was not all work and no play as many entertainment greats such as Charlie Chaplin, George Formby, Vesta Tilly and the Beatles all appeared here. St Helens also has its fair share of Oscar winners, claiming three to date. In A–Z of St Helens local author Sue Gerrard reveals the history behind St Helens, its streets and buildings, industries and the people connected with the town. Alongside the famous historical connections, she includes some unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well known. Readers will discover tales of alleged witchcraft, St Helens’ connection with the Nuremberg trials and the town’s glassmaking heritage among many other fascinating facts. Fully illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to all those with an interest in this historic Merseyside town.

St Helens was a giant of the Industrial Revolution, transforming itself through invention and innovation to become a leading voice around the world. It grew from four rural townships, Eccleston, Parr, Sutton and Windle, to become a Municipal Borough in 1868 and a centre for industries such as glassmaking, coal mining and copper smelting. The town’s industrial heritage is echoed through the town’s buildings such as Cannington Shaw and the Crown Glass Works and the Beecham’s Building, which was the first factory in the world built to manufacture medicines. St Helens was also located on the first canal built in Britain in the Industrial Revolution – the Sankey Canal – and the pioneering Liverpool to Manchester passenger railway, of which one of the oldest passenger railway stations in the world is located at St Helens Junction. Venues such as the Hippodrome which played host to Charlie Chaplin and George Formby entertained the rapidly growing population, and St Helens’ story continues today with the opening of the sustainable Glass Futures plant in 2023. St Helens in 50 Buildings explores the history of this town in Merseyside through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in St Helens or who have an interest in the area.

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.