ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

THE origins of Crab Street probably had had nothing at all to do with rock pools or a shellfish diet!

After being puzzled for years as to how this St Helens sidestreet, next to Lowe House Church, had come by its odd name, I pitched out the poser to customers of this column. And the first to field it was retired teacher Kevin Heneghan, from North Road, who takes a lively interest in local history.

Crab Street was originally Crab Lane and Kevin says: "My guess is that crab-apples grew there. In the old days, a favourite drink for winter nights was 'lamb's wool' - made of ale with roasted crab-apples and flavoured with nutmeg."

And he tosses in a snatch from the Bard as supporting evidence. "Shakespeare mentions this in his song about winter at the end of Love's Labours Lost: 'When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl; Then nightly sings the staring owl - To-who.'"

Another follower of this creaky column, Bert Pilkington (82) from Eccleston - by coincidence another retired teacher - also gives substance to Kevin's theory. He used to live in Crab Street as a child and reveals that it was at one time well known as an orchard area.

Meanwhile, Kevin Heneghan also touches upon another blast from the past which appeared on this page. Responding to my plea for any memories of the Peter Street area (and its famous old weekly hop, held in the Institute there) he raises a couple of chuckleworthy episodes.

"Can any reader," asks Kevin, "confirm the truth of a story which I've heard several times?"

Soon after the 1939-45 war, two or three coachloads of men from the Peter Street/Kirkland Street area went on a day-trip to Blackpool. Late in the evening, some of the trippers spotted a familiar face, 'stoned out of his skull' on the Prom.

They hauled him aboard the coach and as he was still legless when they reached St Helens after midnight, the gang helped him home. Repeated knocking brought no response. Then, at last, a bedroom window was flung open next door and a women called out: "No use knocking there, love. They've gone to Blackpool for a week's holiday."

And Kevin remembers someone capping this with a tale about a couple from Newlands Road, Haresfinch, who went on holiday to Blackpool. They booked seats on a mystery tour, only to learn, too late, that the destination was Carr Mill Dam - just a short walk from their St Helens home!

LOVELY little yarns, and I'd just love them to be true! Can anyone please confirm and perhaps provide the identities of the 'victims'?

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