ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

HE'S been familiar with the term since his boyhood carol-singing days. But, asks reader Ernie Graham, what exactly is myrrh - famously listed as one of the gifts brought for the Holy Infant by the three Kings of the Orient?

Ernie, from Moss Bank, would welcome an answer. And he'd also like to know what the stuff was used for.

For Ernie discovered an old bottle in a garage he'd taken possession of. It bears a tattered label containing the intriguing information: Tincture of Myrrh. The purchase price stamped on it is 9d (nine old pennies) per ounce, which might indicate just how long it must have been gathering dust on that garage shelf.

Ernie (60) confessing to being something of a memorabilia magpie, has also come in possession of two other interesting items.

One is a century-old plaque issued by St Helens Borough Council to mark the 60-year 'glorious reign' of Queen Victoria (1837 to 1897). It bears a likeness of Old Vicky, together with the name of the mayor of that time, Richard Pilkington.

His other little treasure is a mint-condition copy of the Highway Code, published in 1954 at the amazing bargain price of one old penny. This 44-year-old item was found tucked inside an equally-unblemished copy of a 'Roadcraft' book listing all British road signs - some now totally obsolete.

ERNIE wonders if any of his finds are of collectable value.

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