My apologies to readers for mistakenly thinking the pictures had been taken at West Bank Junior School. The backdrop to the photos should have made it obvious to me that they were, in fact, taken at St Pat's.

The family history centres around the names White and Clarke as well as the Ratcliffe connection.

Amateur historian Phil Jennett is chronicling the lives of Second World War casualties named on the cenotaph at Victoria Park.

Contained in his research is Bombardier Geoffrey Caton, who was born in Widnes in 1920 as the fourth of seven children.

He started his career with the Royal Artillery before transferring to No.11 Commando.
He later transferred to the SAS, fighting alongside Paddy Mayne, one of its most famous soldiers, and its founder, Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling.

David Hopkins, a Citizens's Advice Bureau employee from Lockwood View, Preston Brook, spent much of his spare time trawling through documents to compile the stories of his great-grandfather and his wife's grandfather.

His task was made more difficult by the fact most First World War service records were lost in Second World War bombing raids on London.

David's great-grandfather - George Stevens - was a territorial from Widnes who fought with the Fifth South Lancashires.

Stef Davis, a popular next door neighbour of mine, is a key organiser of the reunion which will be held at the Holiday Inn, formerly the Crest Hotel, on Sunday December 27 (7pm to 1am).

Stef describes it as a charity night of school memories and the main aim is to raise money to help Halton Haven.

"We grew up with Halton Haven Hospice just across the Busway from our school. In those days, the Haven was just a fledgling charity, operating from a couple of dated mobiles, and founded by the late Dom Valdez.

Paul Quigley, of the museum, tells me that instead of having three weeks of Victorian parties, the plan this year is to divide the celebrations into two parts with half the events taking on a wartime flavour, hopefully showing how people improvised when austerity prevailed and rationing was in full swing.

Dating back to January 1899, and headlined 'The Son of Buffalo Bill takes an unlucky aim at his wife,' the story reads: "Young Mr Cody, described as the son of Buffalo Bill, has been giving an exhibition of rifle shooting, lassoing, etc, at Hope Hall, Runcorn.

Dutton Hall was bought by the Dewar family in 1930 when John Dewar's new wife decided their home was not big enough for parties. The mansion was rebuilt alongside their original home, now known as Dutton Homestall.

Tom Scaife, of Knight Frank estate agents, expects it to sell as a spa hotel, apartments or school.

As the borough gears up for Remembrance Sunday, Mr Twigg headed to Nieuport, Belgium, to pay his respects to his great uncle James, who fell in battle near Arras, France, in 1917.

Private James Twigg, 23, served in the 2nd Battalion the Manchester Regiment, and was one of 818 Widnesians to be killed in the conflict.

That was the opinion given by Dr Simon La Frenais, retired Runcorn GP, when he presented an absorbing insight into the life of the Shrewsbury-born scientist at the October meeting of Runcorn Historical Society.

The pictures were taken by former community nurse Joan Hawkins, who died earlier this year at the age of 90. Her partner, Jack Shaw, of Rainhill, provided the photos.

Terry Burns visited Sts Peter and Paul recently with his extensive war memorabilia collection and says interest among visitors is more intense than ever.

It was not only a reminder of those uncertain times but a heart-warming exercise by a headmaster who obviously believes that, contrary to certain opinions, history has an important role to play in education.

Local woman Rachel, who graduated from Liverpool University, says: "I want to make sure that future developments at the museum keep us firmly on the world stage as one of the leading maritime museums.