THOUGH playwright Ian Taylor has moved on to live in Avon, the thoughts of his St Helens hometown are never far away from his mind.

In fact, the homespun memories of an upbringing in the Toll Bar area of the town, and of his gritty teenage years working as a mineworker at Sutton Manor Colliery, often find themselves weaved into his dramatic work.

And recollections were rekindled once more by a flashback photo which appeared on this page a couple of months ago.

The picture and accompanying article finally filtered through to Ian via his oldest chum, Joe Traverse, who lived next door to him in French Street, Toll Bar, when they were kids.

Joe and his wife Margaret took the particular issue of the Star with them on a visit to Ian's home in Radstock, an old coalmining town which is far less salubrious than the neighbouring and ruling city of Bath.

The look-back picture in question featured an open-air celebratory party on the tarmac of French Street, showing pithead gear in the far background.

Writes Ian: "I was delighted by the photograph, and must have been on it, further down the table." It could have been to mark the Festival of Britain (1951) although Ian feels that it was more likely to have been to celebrate the 1953 Coronation.

However, Ian has no doubt about the colliery headgear, next to what was known as the 'Cobs,'

"It is the Alexandra egress shaft," he says, "and there was another brick shaft in the grounds of the Congregational chapel hut (or 'the Duck')." It was often referred to as Ravenhead Pit, because of its closeness to that district, says our long-memoried playwright. But the actual Ravenhead Colliery was further on "across the Downies."

Ian remembers all the people mentioned in the earlier piece supplied by Jimmy Mayor, whom he particularly recalls as a very fast and clever runner. One image of Jimmy has stuck in Ian's mind all these years, and has had a symbolic effect upon him.

It harks back to a race at Thatto Heath Council School when Jimmy would have been about nine. He remained right at the back of the field throughout the first lap, conserving his energy and then, timing his run to perfection, came through to win easily.

Ian adds that the Star was always supportive to him when he was fully involved in playwriting for theatre, radio and TV.

His first play, 'Kelly's Winder', which earned him a Thames TV award for new playwrights, was loosely based on the quarry at the top of Elm Road, Thatto Heath. "It used to fascinate me when I was a kid at the local council school," he explains.

"My last play to be broadcast, on Radio 3, made mention of the Bird i'th Hand pub at the top of Dunriding Lane, St Helens," adds Ian,

"Nowadays, my energies go mostly into writing for the local press and serving on various committees to do with the regeneration of Radstock. In this, we are in line with the Prescot developments which I've been watching with interest."

And Prescot is earmarked for a performance next Easter of Ian's play, 'The Last Hours of Pontius Pilate', to be staged in the parish church with Prescot actor Billy Moores in the title role.

THANKS for the memories, Ian, and here's to more power to your playwrighting pen!

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