Christmas

This Week in World War One, 1 December 1916

08/03/201801/12/2016 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 1 DECEMBER 1916

TRAPPED BY THE TIDE

BUTCHER’S FATAL RISK ON HOLY ISLAND

The finding of a butcher’s van in which was yoked the dead body of a horse, on Holy Island sands on Sunday, brought to light the tragic end of Thomas Foreman, a well-known butcher.

The unfortunate man who belongs to Lowick, Northumberland, regularly crossed these dangerous sands to the island and was familiar with the perils attending a crossing with the flood tide.

bro-0515-127-blog — BRO 0515-127 (c) Berwick Record Office

It appears that having served his customers he left the island at 5 o’clock on Saturday night and although little enough time was left to cross in safety, no fears were entertained as to his regaining the other side.

The high tides, however, had not been taken account of and it is feared Foreman met his end while at least half-way across. Up to the time of writing no trace of the body has been found.

LOCAL NEWS

Feeding Stuffs and Milk Prices. – Although the price of milk is to be restricted there is no restriction upon the price of feeding stuffs for the cows. Some farmers, assert that unless some limit is imposed upon the price of the feeding stuffs it will be impossible for them, except at a loss, to continue supplying milk. It is stated that in some parts of the country farmers are disposing of their cows. To avoid any possibility of a shortage in the supply of milk from this cause, it has been suggested to Mr Runciman that he should summon a conference of farmers and manufacturers and importers of feeding stuffs to discuss the situation with a view to arriving at a voluntary agreement for the limitation of prices. The president of the Board of Trade, who is considering the suggestion, will be asked on Thursday, 30^th November, to indicate whether he is prepared to adopt it.

Steamer Refloated. – The large steamship Tredegar Hall, 3,764 tons gross register, which stranded on the sands at Monkhouse, Bamburgh, two months ago, has been successfully refloated. As the steamer stranded during spring tides fears were entertained that some time might lapse before she was salved, but the exceptionally high ide experienced at the week-end, allowed a large salvage tug to successfully tow the ship into deep water. It is understood the vessel is little the worse.

WOOLER

Christmas. – we are reminded that Christmas is again approaching, and the annual prize show and sale at the Wooler Mart is announced for Monday week. We are assured that an excellent display may be looked for. The quality of the stock presented by the Wooler Mart, Co., at their Christmas show is always equal to any, and that it will be up to the usual standard goes without saying.

Gifts for Soldiers. – A subscription list has been opened by the Vicar to provide the sailors and soldiers who have left the parish with a suitable Christmas parcel. Over £21 has already been subscribed and is expected to be still further increased. A chocolate service is to be held in the Parish Church on Sunday afternoon, when gifts of chocolate, etc., will be welcomed. The collection will also be for the soldiers and sailors gifts. The total number reaches over a hundred. The Presbyterian churches are also sending parcels to members connected with their places of worship.

SCREMERSTON

Concert for Soldiers’ Chritsmas Gifts. – A very successful concert, organised in connection with Scremerston Church with the object of sending a Christmas token of remembrance to all Scremerston men on active service abroad, was given in the large hall of the local Workmen’s Institute on Monday evening last. The concert had aroused a very general interest in the parish and neighbourhood, and the highest anticipations of the Vicar and those associated with him in the venture were more than fulfilled. The entertainment itself was of a very interesting and varied character. Through the good offices of Mr J. M. Dudgeon, a number of the Royal Scots now billeted in Berwick promised their assistance. During their stay here they have proved themselves most able and successful entertainers in various ways, and they repeated their triumphs on this occasion. Corpl. Dells, humourist, Private Cummings and Corpl. Howitt, vocalists, and Private Burnett, impersonator and soft shoe dancer, all justified the reputation they have gained. Mr Dudgeon’s ability is too well known to require description further than to say that he proved himself as popular as ever.

© Copyright Raymond Chisholm, and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0).

A cymbal dance by Miss Dormer and a tambourine dance by Miss Douglas were gracefully given and heartily received. A beautiful stage picture representing Britannia and the nine Allied Nations, devised and arranged by Mrs Lightfoot, was represented by Miss E. M. Lightfoot as Britannia and by members of the Church Girls’ Guild. The supplemental act saluting the British flag by the separate nations individually give the audience the opportunity of greeting each ally with welcoming applause. Part songs by Scremerston Church Choir as a body, and songs by individual members further associated the Church with this pleasing effort to send tokens of remembrance to the local men now serving in France, Egypt, Salonica, and on the high seas. The seating of the large gathering was looked after by Mr R. Thomson, ably assisted by his sons. Much of the success of the undertaking was due to the untiring interest and assistance given by Mr and Mrs W. J. Blackett, Scremerston Post Office, who also bore the cost of conveying the Berwick and Spittal vocalists to and from the concert. A goodly sum was realised by the venture, and the parcels thus secured will be despatched to the men at the Western front without delay; parcels have already been sent to those in Egypt and Salonika.

This Week in World War One, 31 December 1915

08/03/201801/01/2016 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 31 DECEMBER 1915

BERWICK POST OFFICE

The amount of Christmas work dealt with at Berwick Post Office was very much the same as last year, but being spread over a longer period the pressure was not so much felt in consequence. Although the staff has been greatly depleted during the past year everyone put their shoulder to the wheel and the work went through expeditiously. Extra hours were, of course, worked, and the praiseworthy arrangement of supplying refreshment to the workers on the premises was once more in operation.

WW1 Xmas postcard 1915.

Extra help was brought in for rural deliveries in the shape of motor and other vehicles, while the Oddfellows’ Hall again proved a useful clearing house. Parcels delivered during the Christmas week amounted to about 6000, but there was not the usual postings of Christmas cards. A special and most noticeable feature was the large number of parcels posted for soldiers at the front, causing at times very great pressure, out-going mails being very heavy. For the first time at Christmas women were employed to do delivery and collection duty in place of the men on active service and officials speak in glowing terms of the way they discharged their duties. There is still a considerable amount of parcel and other postings passing through, but it is not anticipated that the staff will be heavily taxed at New Year.

CAROL CONCERT AND LECTURE

Interesting Notes on Christmas Carols

An attractive carol concert on behalf of the National Institute for the Blind was given in the Queen’s Rooms, Berwick, on Thursday evening by a number of local talented ladies and gentlemen. The principal object was to assist in raising funds to assist those soldiers and sailors who have lost their sight during the war and for their maintenance in a hostel for the purpose of teaching them some useful trade.

Blinded by tear gas in World War One, 55th (West Lancashire) Division troops await treatment at an advanced dressing station.

The soloists were Mrs Shepherd, Miss E. Elder, and Messrs Abbott and Riddell, while a duet was rendered by Miss Harbottle and Mr Riddell. Messrs R. Stott and Smith also took part in the programme of carols. The conductor was Mr Geo. Ballantyne, and the accompanist, Miss Skeldon. The programme was ably sustained the whole of the pieces being feelingly and tunefully interpreted, the efforts meeting with the cordial approval of the audience. A feature in the programme was a lecture on carols by Dr Gauntlett, organist and choirmaster in the Parish Church.

LOCAL NEWS

Corner Accident– An accident which might have been attended by serious results took place on Friday last at the foot of Hide Hill. It appears that a tub trap driven by a young lady named Miss Brown, of Tweedmouth, was taking the corner when a collision occurred with a motor car belong to Messrs McBain, Tweedmouth. The tub trap was upset and the young lady received a severe shaking. Happily she suffered no injury, although the pony was slightly cut by the collision. This is only one of many accidents which have taken place at the corners of Hide Hill from time to time, and each succeeding accident accentuates that fact that these sharp turnings are entirely out of date in coping with modern vehicular traffic.

THE PASSING AND APPROACHING YEAR

Again we have reached the closing days of another year. Too well we realise the terrible experiences we have come through during the past twelve months, for there are few homes that have not had their full share of the awful miseries of the Great War. To the bereaved and the maimed ordinary sympathy seems utterly inadequate, and a quiet and subdued silence often speaks more eloquently than any human words can utter. Time is the great healer and consoler in affliction, and it will only be the soothing influence of the ever-revolving seasons that will adequately supply the balm and needed comfort to so many aching hearts which are so utterly bereft. As we approach the end of the year it is natural that many should raise conjectures as to the position the country will be in by another year. Will the war be over? Who can tell. At the same time it seems highly improbable that its duration will extend so long. The material and national resources of Germany will be exhausted ere that time, and there may be an internal upheaval of the Teutonic empire that will hasten the close of the awful devastation.

Picture of Serbian infantry on Ada Ciganlija during the First World War. Wikimedia Commons

Already the national credit of Germany is steadily diminishing in the exchanges of neutral countries, and this must have a very important bearing on events in the opening periods of the new year. As we make a brief and general survey of the year that is nearly finished we have – great and acute as our sorrows are – reason to feel grateful that we have escaped the general holocaust that has overtaken Belgium, the North of France, and Serbia. And when we think of the recent awful massacres of the Armenian people it makes us realise this more fully. For had the brutal enemy been enabled to land on these shores we would have experienced this to the full. A small sample of it was shown a year ago in the bombardment of defenceless east coast towns where no discrimination or humanity was shown.

Notwithstanding the serious nature of the times we are passing through we desire to wish all our readers

A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS

NEW YEAR

This Week in World War One, 17 December 1915

08/03/201818/12/2015 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 17 DECEMBER 1915

BELFORD

Interesting Railway Connection – An interesting link with pre-railway days remains in Belford district in the person of Mr John Lockhart, who worked on what is now the Great East Coast route before a train had run from Newcastle to Tweedmouth. Mr Lockart, who is in his 92^nd year, enjoys good health. His failing eyesight prevents him reading much, and so he is out of doors as much as possible. He lives with his son in one of the station cottages. Born at North Berwick in 1824, Mr Lockhart has thus lived in five reigns. He came of a long lived stock. His father was 80 when he died, and his grandmother, whom he remembers, was 95.

For no less than 62 years Mr Lockhart worked on the line as platelayer, and for 50 years he lived in one house at Beal, where he had charge of a section. He worked for a year under the contractors who were making the railroad, and the next year he saw the first train which made the journey to Tweedmouth. Most of the coaches were open, and the seats ran the whole length of the carriage. He took the first ticket that was booked from Scremerston to Tweedmouth, and lost it before he reached his destination.

A man of strong religious convictions, he has contributed a great deal to the training of young people in the Sunday Schools of the district. Mr Lockhart is certainly the oldest ex-railwayman in the northern portion of the North Eastern Company’s district, and during his long years of service he was a most conscientious worker.

HOLY ISLAND

Quaint Wedding Customs – Great interest was displayed in a wedding which took place on the island on Saturday. The bride was Miss Elizabeth Wilson, eldest daughter of Mr Wilson, churchwarden and school manager, and the bridegroom was Mr George Richardson, of Berwick. The bride was accompanied by her sister, Miss May Wilson, as bridesmaid. The Rev. Irvine Crawshaw conducted the service which was choral, the choristers assembling to honour the bride, who was formerly a chorister.

Immediately after the ceremony, the quaint custom of jumping the “Petting Stone” was performed by the bride, and on her arrival at her home another quaint custom was observed. A plate filled with cake was thrown over the bride’s head for good luck. The good fortune depends upon the plate being broken. The honour of throwing the plate and cake was allotted to the daughter of the local schoolmaster, and great was the glee of the children as they scrambled for the cake. There was a large number of handsome wedding gifts.

BOARD OF GUARDIANS – BERWICK WORKHOUSE

BUTCHER MEAT AND FISH CONTRACTS

A report of the Workhouse and Finance Committee showed that consideration had been given as to the selection of tenders for the supply of butcher meat, etc., for the ensuing quarter, and that it was agreed to accept the tender by Messrs Hogarth at the sum of £94 0s 2d.

In answer to queries by Mr Turnbull, it was explained that the only other was £101 18s 2d, and that the following were the quotations given by Messrs Hogarth:- Flanks 12s 6d, necks 14s, haughs 9s, carcases of mutton 10s, all per stone; suet, 8d per lb.; joints, 1s 2d per lb.

It was recommended that the contract for the supply of fresh fish be given to Jane Willock at 7d per lb., and fish for officers (varied) at 8d per lb. from the same contractor.

It was also recommended that the contract for bread be given to J. B. Geggie at 7¾d per four lb., and good seconds at 7½d.

GIFT OF MAGAZINES

The report by the Workhouse Committee showed that magazines had been received for the inmates from Mrs Kennedy, High Greens, and it was agreed to acknowledge receipt of same with thanks.

WORKHOUSE MATTERS

The report of the Workhouse Committee also showed that orders had been issued for the supply of one load of straw for the garden; also an easy chair for the laundress room, and that a cheque for £10 be granted to the Master to meet petty expenses.

All the above recommendations were unanimously approved of on the motion of Mrs Willits.

Berwick Advertiser 17 Dec 1915 Dudgeon Advert — Berwick Advertiser 17 December 1915 Christmas and New Year Cakes

HINTS FOR THE HOME

Save your potato peelings. If these are dried in the oven, they will help to make the fire burn up very quickly, and one cannot be too economical just now, can we?

Never put a fork into a chop or steak when frying or grilling, as it lets out the juice or flavour of the meat.

Before putting milk on the fire or gas to boil, rinse the saucepan out with water. This will prevent it from burning.

A hot cloth put round the mould will help the jelly or ice to come out without sticking.

Pudding clothes should never be washed with soap. Soak them in cold water, and well rinse in hot and dry in the open air.

When stoning raisins for the pudding this year, rub a little butter on the fingers and knife, and this will relieve that task of raisin-seeding of its discomfort.

Hot milk is an excellent restorative for those who are over-exerted, and many of us feel like this just now at the end of a strenuous day, and sometimes, half the night.

+ More