DOES anyone remember a pre-war local rugby player who gloried under the nickname of the Colonial Kid?

Real name Harold Mellor, he was an uncle of Doreen S. Johnson of Brunswick Street, Newton-le-Willow, who explains that Harold got that impressive monicker because he spent a slice of his life in Canada, returning to St Helens in the 1930s.

He died about ten years ago, and Doreen would love to know if anyone could fill in a few details about him.

"When he returned from Canada he came to live with us at Union Bank Lane," she explains. She also believes that he served the famous old St Helens Recs for a time during the 'thirties and that the club was once so 'cash strapped' that players were given prizes instead of pay -- tea services, household goods, clocks and the like.

CAN anyone confirm this?