ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

SLURPERS - especially those of Irish descent - please take note. If your forebears had a passion for the black stuff, then a film company would like to hear from you.

Hilary O'Hara, from Testimony Films, Bristol, is researching a TV documentary for Channel 4, about the history of drinking in Britain during the first half of this century.

Possibly realising that the St Helens area, with its deep Irish immigrant roots, might be a fertile hunting ground, Hilary writes: "I'm sure some of your older readers have interesting stories to tell. We are especially interested in the passion of Irish people for Guinness.

"The ability to drink huge quantities of the black stuff was seen as a badge of manhood. The pub was an important focus for the Irish community. And Guinness, in particular, offered a memory of home."

HILARY O'Hara can be contacted at Testimony Films, 12 Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5RS.

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