WHAT became of the short-lived shopping-centre fountain, presented to the town about a quarter of a century ago by Lord and Lady Pilkington?

That's the question raised by a keen customer of this column.

And he suggests that, should it still be in mothballs somewhere, it would be a brilliant idea to re-erect it as a showpiece feature on Victoria Square, now undergoing extensive and highly-expensive renovation work.

My chum (who pleads to remain anonymous) had his memory jogged by news that many of Lady P's personal possessions had gone under the hammer at Windle Hall.

He feels that it was a scandal for the council of the day to have accepted the generosity of Lady P and her philanthropic hubby, only to give their gift of a modern-style fountain brief tenure outside the parish church.

"Presumably, the whole lot was thrown away," our protester writes, "certainly, no account of why it disappeared seems to have ever been offered."

And he reminds, "Lady P has a special place in the hearts of St Helens people - not only because of her generosity and tireless charity work, but also for her extraordinary stand on behalf of the working man (badly received as it was by certain strike leaders) during the bitter glass dispute of almost 30 years ago."

The Pilkington fountain was, admittedly, an occasional target for local yobbos, and on one occasion part of the main shopping drag was bathed in a river of foam when some clown threw packets of washing powder into it.

But, as my old chum points out: "If the original location was not suitable, surely the fountain could have been put into storage for a future decision on where to put it.

"It would have presented a magnificent sight in the centre of the Victoria Square re-development."

ANYONE know where that fountain was taken to and whether it is still in storage? I'd really love to know.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.