ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

IS nothing sacred? I hear there's a move afoot to erect a large advertisement hoarding in such a position as to overshadow the Friends' Meeting House, an ancient and picturesque place of Quaker worship at the top of Church Street, St Helens.

I was alerted to this plan by a concerned Keith Whalley (no relation) of the Keyfoto camera shop who reinforced his objection to the plans on the meeting house - arguably the oldest building in St Helens.

Unfortunately, I received his protest letter too late for publication last week; and I'm told that any objections to the application had to be received by the local planning officer by yesterday (April 23).

I can only hope that there was enough pressure to scuttle the move which, if proceeded with, would see hoardings on both gable ends of Wolverhampton House (the old dole office) standing next to the centuries-old place of worship with its distinctive sundial clock above the front entrance.

St Helens has few enough surviving places of historical interest (most having gone under heavy-handed demolition) and the meeting house is among the most beautiful examples in the borough.

Let's pray something will be done to spare it from a highly-unsuitable backdrop of full-scale, garish billboard advertising.

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