Whiston, Merseyside
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  Map sources for Whiston, Merseyside at grid reference SJ4791
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Whiston is a town in Knowsley, Merseyside, England. It is to the east of Liverpool lying approximately 8 miles from the city centre. Lying south of the road linking Liverpool and Warrington, and crossed by the Liverpool to Manchester railway. For more than 450 years it was known for its coal mines. Its recorded history begins in the 13th century but its roots are much older. A polished stone hand-axe, a relic of the Neolithic Age, was discovered there in 1941 and in 1986 fragments of flint tools were found on a local farm.
The church of St. Nicholas on Windy Arbor Road hosts a war memorial, (damaged by lightning) designed by Gilbert Scott.
See "A history of Whiston: From the Stone Age to the Plastic Age" by William K Blinkhorn ISBN 1-901253-38-4
[edit] Famous Whistonians
- Willy Russell - The playwright and Scouse legend.
- Melanie Chisholm - Sporty Spice in the former international girl band Spice Girls.
- Steven Gerrard - The Liverpool and England soccer star played for local side Whiston Juniors in the early 1990's.
- Peter Briggs - Screenwriter of the movie Hellboy (film), 2004 was born in Whiston hospital and grew up in the town, attending local Higher Side Comprehensive School.
- Tommy Kearney - Playwright, has written a number plays including some that are set in Whiston, 'Windermere' was staged in London April 2006 and 'Madonna and Me' is due to be staged in April 2007 at the Union Theatre in London.
- Martin Dwyer - Jockey. Double classic winning flat jockey raised in Fisher Avenue, off Lickers Lane, Whiston, Merseyside. Attended St. Leo's Primary School and St Edmund Arrowsmith R.C. High School.
[edit] Employers
Probably the biggest employer in Whiston is Whiston hospital, which is part of the St. Helens & Knowsley trust. The trust employs approximately 4500 people, the majority based at Whiston. The hospital itself is a general hospital, with almost 900 beds, specialising in burns & plastic treatment. A PFI (Privately Financed Initiative) project has started, which will see the completion of a brand new state of the art hospital, due for completion in 2010. The rebuild cost is estimated to be £343 million.
Another employer is Whiston is the Stoves factory, now named after its current owners Dimplex. It produces general kitchen appliances, employing approximately 1000 people.
[edit] Schools
Halsnead Community Primary School & Training School
Higher Side Comprehensive School
St Lukes Catholic Primary School
Whiston Willis Primary School
