THE name of an old-time St Helens character who used to scuttle around Victoria Park back in the late 1940s eluded Roy Lally of Billinge who recently contributed to our ongoing 'peeps into the past' theme.

But now all is revealed. For quite a number of readers recognised him as being Johnny Dearden, who was deaf and dumb and lived in a cottage within that St Helens park.

Among those who remember him, Frank Leyland of Laurel Road, Haydock, writes: "Johnny used to go to the old Gerard Hall in Lord Street when Father Challinor ran it.

"He played snooker there, now and again, and Fr. Challinor used to say that he was the only one who held a cue properly."

Johnny used to do odd jobs and run errands for the good priest. Says Frank: "He knocked about round the Gerards Bridge area and all the lads of that time knew him."

MY thanks to Frank and other customers of the column for solving that identity mystery.

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