Pot-shot at dear old Victoria LOAD the muskets for another pot-shot at Oliver Cromwell. A customer of this column, who amusingly refers to himself as a 'reincarnated Roundhead', adds his own twopenn'orth in reviving a subject which marched across this page some months ago.

Choosing to hide under a cloak of anonymity (perhaps wisely, in view of his consequent submissions) he insists that Cromwell's troops, if not the old warty Protector himself, did indeed venture into the St Helens area. And he suggests a strange and very extreme measure to mark this claimed chapter in local history.

"The never-ending media saga as to whether Victoria's statue should be removed from opposite the town hall should be put to an end," he declares. "As at Warrington, a statue of Cromwell should be erected - in this case, in place of Victoria's. This would prove that the Roundheads once passed through," he rants on.

Seems a pretty thin sort of reason to me, and as a great admirerer from boyhood of that Queenly statue I'll certainly be in the front line to defend that magnificent work of art should the removal men even hint at moving Victoria to a new location - or worse, as has been suggested by certain local Philistines, a move should be made to have her melted down. (By the way, does my memory fail me, or was there once a fountain at the foot of that statue?)

Our Cromwellian cheerleader pitches in with some additional queries on the Civil War subject.

"Is it true, as often said, that the Roundheads stripped lead off the top of the Windleshaw Chantry and a nearby pub to make musket balls? And did the Roundheads fire a canon off the top of Billinge Lump as a warning shot to any villagers with Royalist leanings?" (There have been many accounts over the years concerning the ghostly presence of a Cavalier at the old Stork Hotel which stands on the main route through that village.)

And, he asks: "Is there any truth in local tales that ghosts of Roundheads killed in battle have been spotted on the outskirts of St Helens?"

I AWAIT possible response from our erudite readership - but I shan't be holding my breath!

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