SOME of the town's treasures will be thrown open to the public next week to encourage greater awareness of our heritage.

As part of the national Heritage Open Days 99, local events include tours around St Helens Town Hall, the Mansion House in Victoria Park, the Friends Meeting House, the Railway Heritage Trail, the Smithy Heritage Centre and a vintage bus tour which will collect passengers and drop them off at open-day sites.

The town hall will open its doors on Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12 from noon to 4pm, while the Grade II Mansion House, dating from 1850, will be open on Sunday, September 12 from 2 to 4pm. The Friends Meeting House, reputed to be the oldest in the North West, is a Grade II listed building and opens on the Saturday and Sunday noon to 4pm.

The Railway Heritage Trail is a 12-mile guided vintage bus tour visiting railway sites including the Rainhill Trials site on the Liverpool/Manchester railway, Warrington and Newton railway and the Sankey viaduct. This is on the Sunday, meeting at St Helens Town Hall at 2.30pm.

The Smithy Heritage Centre, an old smithy in Kiln Lane, Eccleston, dating from 1830, is now a local heritage centre and will open from noon to 4pm on the Saturday and Sunday. The Vintage Bus Tour will also operate on both days from noon to 4pm from St Helens Town Hall.

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