Local News

This Week in World War One, 18 February 1916

08/03/201819/02/2016 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 18 FEBRUARY 1916

A BLESSING FOR BERWICK-UPON-TWEED

Mr Winston, The Eyesight Specialist, has been persuaded to remain another week until Saturday, 26^th February.

In consequence of numerous applications from those whom he was unable to attend to during the last five days of his sojourn in Berwick, Mr Winston has decided to remain another week with us, and give those who have not yet had the opportunity of interviewing him the advantage of his free advice.

Retinoscopy at the School Travelling Ophthalmic Clinic, Australia. Dated 1st January, 1914. © State Records New South Wales, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

NOT AN OCULIST

It must be distinctly understood that Mr Winston does not pose as an oculist, that, is, according to the dictionary, “once skilled in diseases of the eyes,” but he claims to be, and is justified in doing so, the most expert specialist Optometrist or Optician in England. He has tested the eyesight of no fewer that a hundred thousand people in London alone during the past five years, and has fitted glasses to sixty thousand of them in his store, 72 Regent Street. The chemist is not an optician, neither is the doctor, nor the oculist even. Their education and experience have taught them the nature and use of drugs with regard to ailments, but for impaired vision the scientific optician is the man.

WOMEN WORKERS

Mr Winston has found during the past week that the strenuous work the war has thrown upon women has considerably affected their eyes – probably previously weak- and has produced in numerous cases those terrible headaches from which so many women suffer. He has in the majority of cases recommended a cheap pair of lenses to use when they are at work, but which they need not use and – as they think – disfigure themselves afterwards. Make the most of the opportunity of seeing Mr Winston, as he will not be able to stop in BERWICK ANY LONGER THAN FEB. 26^th inclusive.

Mr Winston can now be seen by anyone from 10 to 1 or 2 to 7.30, at the CORN EXCHANGE, BERWICK-ON-TWEED, and they can obtain advice perfectly free of any charge. So do not neglect an opportunity which may never occur again. Special appointments can be arranged by post. N.B.- A written guarantee with all work for ten years.

BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

USING THE ROOM OWING TO THE RATS

Elizabeth Gleig, Berwick, married, was charged with allowing the chimney of her house in East Street to be on fire on Thursday, 10^th inst.

Police Constable Watt stated that the chimney was very dirty and clouds of smoke issued. He could see these from the top of Hide Hill. It burned for a quarter of an hour. On proceeding to the house he found it was the room chimney which had caught fire, and a young boy had been using an old tray to create a draught. The defendant told him that the chimney had not been swept for two years, and that the fire was not often kindled.

The defendant stated that since her husband joined the army she had using the room, as the kitchen was infested with rats. She had been two years in the house, and as she never used the room until recently the chimney had not been swept.

She was fined 2s 6d.

LOCAL NEWS

Local Fancier’s Important win – Showing at Crufts Great International Dog Show, held in the Royal Agricultural Hall, London, February 9th, 10th, and 11th, Mr David Black, Berwick, successfully brought out a smart home-bred bull dog puppy, and won second prize Dog Puppies (14 entries), third prize Junior Dogs, and v.h.c. Maiden Dogs (18 entries). Crufts is acknowledged to be the greatest dog show held throughout the year, and some idea may be gathered from the fact that the total entries reached the enormous number of 3,235. It is interesting to note that this show was honoured with double Royal patronage, both the King and Queen being first prize winners with their exhibits.

Irish Woolfhound 'Felixstowe Regan,' who was the winner of the Dog CC at Crufts,in 1916. — Irish Woolfhound ‘Felixstowe Regan,’ who was the winner of the Dog CC at Crufts,in 1916.

Engine Derailed on Border Bridge – On Wednesday morning a North British goods engine went off the rails as it was proceeding from Tweedmouth to Berwick. The engine had just entered on the second arch of the Royal Border Bridge when it became derailed, the result being that it blocked both lines. The 7.45 train from Edinburgh was delayed half an hour at Berwick ere [sic] one of the lines was cleared. The traffic had to be conducted on a single line all forenoon, and a break-down gang from Tweedmouth were busily engaged with a crane replacing the engine on the metals. The cause of the accident is unknown, and fortunately no one was injured.

Royal Border Bridge ealry 1990s. © Berwick Record Office - BRO 515 377 — Royal Border Bridge early 1900s. © Berwick Record Office – BRO 515 377

THE PLAYHOUSE

Average houses have been present during the past week and have greatly appreciated the programme provided. For the coming week the management have arranged a bill of exceptional merit. “The Counterfeiter” a new and powerful Sexton Blake drama will be screened on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and being full of exciting incidents and movements from start to finish, it should indeed prove a popular choice. The latter part of the week will provide a film of no mean order entitled “Every Woman Should Know.” The picture is a revelation of highly skilled acting, and being essentially a morality play, should these times, with all their disturbing element, create quite a sensation. In it, woman descends into the lowest depths, following the lure of vanity, flattery, vice and evil, only at the last moment to turn aside from the path of sin and embrace the spirit of God, which has ever followed her. This week’s vaudeville performance stars the “original Pimple,” formerly of “Tom White’s Arabs” fame. Patrons would be well advised to see this screaming turn.

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, 29 October 1915

08/03/201830/10/2015 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 29 OCTOBER 1915

REGRETTABLE SCENE AT BERWICK STATION

Ejection of recruiting sergeant

The ejection of a recruiting sergeant, dressed in full khaki uniform, and with the familiar bunch of coloured ribbons flowing from his cap, caused an unpleasant and regrettable scene at Berwick Station on Wednesday evening. He was a tall middle aged soldier with grey hair, bound south in a corridor train. The temporary loss of his pass was the cause of all the trouble the possessor having mislaid it amid quite a large collection of clothing which he carried. Had the soldier left the carriage quietly it would have been all right, but this he declined to do. He persisted in having another futile search for the missing ticket, and as the express could not wait he was requested to leave the compartment. This he was in no mind to do, and forcibly resisted. The station master ultimately entered the compartment, and with the assistance of other officials, succeeded in forcing the muscular warrior out, all his belongings being heaped on to the platform. It would have fared ill perhaps with Berwick’s stationmaster had he not had assistance at hand, as the brawny fellow in khaki was thoroughly aroused, and made an abortive effort to lay violent hands on whom he considered responsible for his ejectment.

Berwick Railway Station during World War One (c) Berwick Record Office

Retreating, however, behind the open carriage door, and exclaiming to the discomfited soldier “stand off,” the stationmaster was able to elude the attentions of the angry soldier, and meanwhile some of the other station officials came in between. As the express glided out of the station on its southward journey the soldier found quite a number of sympathisers. “Aye,” exclaimed one woman, “that’s the way they treat the men that are asked to die for us.” The soldier, assisted by some boys, commenced to examine the contents of his luggage, chief attention being concentrated upon the contents of the kit bag which each man in the army possesses. After a short search a woman observed what she took to be the pass, and fortunately it turned out to be the much required parchment. It is much to be regretted that such a scene should be witnessed, and our correspondent thinks it might have been avoided had a little more tact and thoughtfulness been displayed. Would it not have been sufficient to have taken the name, address, and number of the gallant sergeant, wired to the next station where tickets are examined, and thus allowed him a chance of securing his temporarily lost ticket while en route? It seems incredible to think of such a deplorable incident occurring when the Government has taken over the charge of the railways. The station officials, no doubt, have a difficult task to perform, and, it is understood they have received strict instructions to allow no man in khaki to travel who cannot produce a pass. They were, therefore, presumably strictly carrying out the instruction laid down for their observance.

LOCAL NEWS

FEMALE ATTENDANTS WANTED for the Northumberland County Asylum, Morpeth. Applicants must be in good bodily health, not less than 5ft. 5in in height, and able to read and write. Wages begin at £19 5s per annum, with board, lodging, uniform and washing. Applications, stating age and height, to be addressed to the Medical Superintendent. At least two thoroughly satisfactory references as to character required; one must be from last employer. The appointment will be made subject to the provisions of the Asylums Officers’ Superannuation Act, 1909.

KNOCKED DOWN BY A MOTOR CAR. A rather serious accident befell Mrs Robertson, Spittal, while she was crossing the Old Bridge on Friday evening about 7.30. It appears that she was crossing from one side of the Bridge to the other pushing a perambulator containing her baby, when she was suddenly knocked down by a car driven by Mr D. Atkinson, dentist Berwick, and she was severely injured about the head. The child was knocked out of the perambulator but marvellously escaped being injured. Mrs Robertson was rendered unconscious and was conveyed in the car by Mr Atkinson to the Infirmary. She had recovered so far on Wednesday as to be removed to her father’s Mr John Renwick, Walkergate, Berwick. Mrs Robertson’s husband is serving at the front.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

MOTOR CYCLING – A motor cyclist who has put in a lengthy spell on active service in France writes : – The Dunlop tyres, extra heavy, 26 by 2½ by 2¼ , are doing splendid work, and on most of the machines the original tyres are still in use. The average mileage is at least 8000, traversed over terrible roads, yet the treads are still perfect. The back tyres are nearly as good as the front, due, no doubt, to the chain-cumbelt drive, which is the most flexible drive in use, and largely accounts for the excellent service done by the Dunlop belts, some of the originals being still on. This last point is one of great interest, possibly of debate.

+ More