BERWICK ADVERTISER, 5 MARCH 1920

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MILITARY NOTES

HOW R.S.M. R.J. SWANSTON, BERWICK WON HIS D.C.M

The official account has now been issued as how R.S.M. R. J. Swanston, 7th (Ind.) Div. M.G. Batt., M.G.C., Berwick, earned his D.C.M. R.S.M. Swanston, who was one of the original 7th N.F. mobilised at the outbreak of war, has been very reticent as to what he did to win the medal. He is the son of Mr and Mrs Swanston, Woolmarket, Berwick, and has recently returned to work with his former employers – Messrs W. Elder and Sons.

An early 1950s image of William Elder & Sons, a scene that would hardly of changed in the intervening years between the time the R.S.M., R. J . Swanston, DCM, worked there in 1919. BRO 1944-1-2661-17

The official record is as follows: – “For conspicuous gallantry during the attack on Beit Lidd on 20th September, 1918. When all his men had become casualties, he continued by himself to carry up ammunition to his sections under very heavy fire. Throughout the day he, by his coolness and gallantry, under trying circumstances, set a very fine example to all.”

LOCAL NEWS

During the last little bit they have been laying underground telephone wires in the Berwick streets and the officials of the Electric Supply Coy. have been trying to trace faults in their cable. To the outsider it seemed a lengthy and fairly difficult business. At Wallace Green Literary Society on Monday night, Mr A. C. A. Steven explained how they did that sort of thing at the front under shellfire. With the help of maps and diagrams, he showed what a huge network of lines there was, and how communication was always being interrupted by explosions. For the most part the cables were buried, and repairs were carried through at night.

English Electric Co motors 1920

As a captured German map showed, the positions of these cables was known to the enemy, who had their range and tried, with a good deal of success, to destroy them in the daytime, and to put the men repairing them out of action at night. Mr Steven’s modest narrative made plain how much the Army owed to its technical experts, and what a lot there was to do at the front besides fighting. Another of Mr Steven’s interesting exhibits was a parcel of German propaganda newspapers, which were floated across the British lines by balloon. Mr Jardine was evidently the fittest member of the audience to propose a vote of thanks, and the Padre fully rose to the occasion.

THE NEW TOWN CLERK

HIS QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POST

It is interesting to know that there were 12 applications for the position, and after the Committee had gone through all the applicants’ testimonials, a short leet of three was selected. Mr Douglas S. Twigg and Mr T. Ross Pratt were interviewed last Thursday at Berwick, when the Committee were highly satisfied with the information then laid before them.

Mr Twigg, who is a Yorkshireman, is at present Assistant Solicitor to the Corporation of the County Borough of Bournemouth, and he has previously held appointments as Assistant Solicitor to the Corporation of the city of York, and a like position coupled with the Deputy Clerkship of the Peace of Merthyr Tydvil.

He is 33 years of age, and has had sixteen years’ legal and local Government experience. While at Bournemouth he has carried through the purchase of two estates for housing purposes and has conducted the correspondence with the Ministry of Health and Housing Commissioner relative to obtaining of the necessary approval to the scheme and the sanction to loans. Mr Twigg has attended meetings of the Council and the Committees and has conducted the whole of the Police Court cases of the Corporation and is thoroughly familiar with the work of a Town Clerk’s office. Mr Twigg is expected to take up his duties in Berwick in about a month’s time.

LADY CONGREGATIONALISTS’ EFFORT AT SPITTAL

The ladies of the Congregational Church, Spittal, have every reason to congratulate themselves upon the success of an undertaking which, locally at least, was one of a unique and, at the same time, interesting nature. For some time past the need of laying on a water supply to the church, and with it the provision of other conveniences, had pressed itself upon the female section, and they determined on their own account, to put forth some effort by which their object could be accomplished. As one of the readiest means to this end, a concert suggested itself to their minds, together with the confiscation of the pulpit on the Sunday, where a lady was to be substituted for the pastor. No help of any kind was to be asked or accepted from any male member of the church; indeed, so much was this stricture to prevail that should any member of the  “nobler sex” be so indiscreet as to even offer a suggestion, he, poor unfortunate, was to pay the penalty for his folly with a fine. There were a few transgressors, who were actually made to stump up!

NORHAM AND ISLANDSHIRE

PETTY SESSIONS

GAVE ANOTHER MAN’S NAME

Peter McLaughlan, labourer, Berwick, was charged with riding a cycle without a light at Velvet Hall at 10.15 p.m. on the 2nd January. He pleaded not guilty.

P.C. Richardson proved the case and said when he spoke to the accused he said he had come from Berwick. He gave the name of John Spiers, vaman with Mr Scott, flour merchant, Berwick. Witness found that accused had given the name of another man and he later had some difficulty in tracing the accused to serve the summons at the house.

Accused – I was never on the road. I am not the man. I would like to ask the policeman how he did not recognise me when he passed me twice in the street.

P.C. Richardson – I never saw you in the street, otherwise I would have recognised you. I recognised you at once when I met you and warned you to be at Court, also informing you that the summons had been served on your sister.

Capt. Tippings pointed out to accused that if he was not the man he should have no difficulty in proving an alibi. He had been rather late in thinking about bringing witnesses.

Accused, in the box, gave a very contradictory story of his movements on the night in question. First he said he was at home all that evening and then stated that he had taken a girl for a walk. He refused to give the girl’s name and could not give the names of anyone he met. He knew the man Spiers, but he had never given Spiers’ name to the police.

The Bench decided to adjourn the case for a month to allow accused to bring witnesses in support of his alibi.

Mr John Wood and the Spittal Cafe

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Whilst cataloguing plans in the Berwick Archives I came across Mr John Wood of Spittal who was, in May 1899, applying for planning permission to build a small building in the garden of his house ‘Woodville’, Spittal.

I was immediately interested because not only was he asking permission to put up a building but he was also acting as his own architect and had produced plans with specifications. These plans were very eye-catching because they showed a very individual approach to just how decorative the plans should look. He was obviously a very go-ahead man with his own ideas about planning and business.

Another reason for my interest was that whilst walking along the promenade at Spittal I was pretty sure I recognised his building. Builders were busy doing some renovation and this drew my attention and the building was much the same as the plans but no longer had a door opening on to the promenade.

Woodville is a semi-detached substantial house and interestingly both houses have a patio perched up high on the roof with ornamental railings. Very much rood terraces.

Later Linda brought out John Wood’s diary and there we discovered the building he proposed was to be a café. This is interesting as it is very close to the present café on the promenade which was built in the 1920s or 30s. Mr Wood was ideally placed to provide refreshments to visitors enjoying a stroll along the promenade.  In July he writes, in his diary, that the ‘shop’ is ready to open. Disappointingly he does not use the name café but it seems to be the same building.

JOHN WOOD’S DIARY

Extracts from 1899:

May 8th 1899: Plans passed to build restaurant on promenade.  Began to build in brick taken from the removal of the wash house building, in a situation bordering on the roadway.

July 12th 1899: Opened shop on promenade.

Martha brought out John Woods art books and we all enjoyed looking through the books that contained many highly decorated pages together with local information and the familiar ornate handwriting.

John Wood’s Art Book BRO 1697-1-55
John Wood’s Art Book BRO 1697-1-57

Dinah Iredale-volunteer

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 20 FEBRUARY 1920

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BERWICK SCHOOLS OPEN AGAIN

Everyone will be glad to know that the schoolchildren are back again to their work. A few weeks ago we drew attention to the educational loss which the town was suffering through the impossibility of keeping the schools open. One master says that he will feel the effects of the closure for five years to come-through the children having missed instruction in passing through their standards which it will be normally assumed they have had. Reckoning from the break-up for the summer holidays at the end of July, 1918, into February 14th, 1920, is 80 weeks. Of these 80 weeks, what with holiday as and Saturdays and Sundays, and what with illness, the schools have been closed as nearly as makes no matter 40 weeks.

A photograph of pupils and staff at Spittal County Primary School in 1921. A year earlier in 1920, some these pupils would have suffered an infection which necessitated the closure of all schools in the borough.

This is a matter which requires the combined consideration of the parents, the teachers, and the Education Committee. When we last wrote on the subject, some teachers seemed to consider that they were being blamed for their schools being closed. Nothing could be further from the truth. But teachers are more and more demanding, and rightly demanding, representation on Education Committees. They are the real educational experts of Berwick, and if this is not fully recognised at the moment, it will be before long. It is impossible to deal with such a serious problem as the closing of the schools without the help of the teachers. They themselves would be the last to claim that the only time they should be consulted by the Education Authority is when their own salaries are under consideration. The town will be the poorer if the teachers are not asked to share in joint control in everything that affects the education of their pupils.

We, therefore put before the Education Committee, the parents, and the teachers, the following suggestions for what they are worth. Firstly, is it not possible to reduce the risk of infection by spraying or disinfecting the schools, so that even if infectious a disease is about the school is about the safest place for the children to be in? Next, is it not possible when an epidemic is threatened, for each child to take part in breathing and gargling exercise first thing in the morning, much as if they were going thorough physical drill? The mouth and the nose are the parts of the body most sensitive to infection, and they can both be easily and systematically cleaned with a solution of permanganate of potash, if the teachers will look after it. The drill might take place in the play-ground. As time goes on the teachers will become more and more responsible for their pupils’ health. They will, we think, increase their knowledge of hygiene, and under medical supervision they could watch the children closely to detect the first symptoms of illness. Even without medical supervision they might as it is when an epidemic is threatened take their temperatures each morning. This might not be book learning, but it would be real education, which would never be forgotten. We only offer these as suggestions, in the hope that all concerned will apply their minds to keeping the schools open for the longest possible period each year.

There is one other matter which we have refrained from mentioning until the schools re-opened. It is absurd to close the schools and allow places of entertainment to remain open. It seems very hard on business enterprises that they should have receipts reduced by the children, who are valuable patrons, being locked out. The risk, however, can easily be insured against, and we recommend the Education Authority to issue a notice that, if there is another epidemic, places of entertainment as well as schools will have to be closed to the children. This is a matter which cannot be allowed to rest. The proprietors of places of entertainment must be given fair notice of what will happen, so that they may make preparations for it. They will pass the cost of insurance on to the public, and we are sure that the public will see that it is cheaper to pay the insurance bill than allow these places to keep open as possible centres of infection.

LOCAL NEWS

We draw our readers’ attention to the entertainment advertised for next Wednesday evening in aid of Berwick Infirmary. The work carried on there deserves to be more widely known. During the past months the patients admitted have frequently overtaxed the resources and additional beds have had to be obtained.

A current photograph of the front of Berwick Infirmary.  With the exception of the modern vehicles and signage, a similar scene would have been witnessed by those carrying out improvement work there in 1920.  © Copyright Rod Allday – Creative Commons Licence.

The Committee is thus face to face with increased establishment charges and present prices spell a higher cost of maintenance. It is to be hoped there will be a “bumper house.”

Lord Tweedmouth is running Boy Ben in the Waterloo Cup and was present at the banquet after the draw on Tuesday night. Boy Ben is an Australian dog, imported by Mrs Pape, but running as the nominee of Lord Tweedmouth. There have been many stories about his importation, though it was never intended that there should be any mystery about him. He was a fair performer in Australia, where all the coursing is in enclosures and, judged by the trails he has been given since his arrival in England, he is not at all likely to create a record by winning the Waterloo Cup for Australia. He is undeniably fast, but, like all enclosure dogs, he works his hare loosely, and does not run out his courses at all cleanly. He won his first course at any rate, as also did Mr J. R. Marshall’s nomination, Fullecourt.

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