BERWICK ADVERTISER, 15TH JULY 1921

16/07/2021 by Northumberland Archives

SPITTAL WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED

STIRRING ADDRESSES BY COLONEL RIDDELL, C.M.G., D.S.O., AND LIEUT.COL. N.I. WRIGHT, D.S.O

Spittal War Memorial shortly after construction 1921. REF: BRO 1895

Unequalled in the district for beauty, simplicity, environment, and chaste design was the memorial unveiled at the Spa Well site, Spittal, on Sunday in commemoration of the sacrifice made by the thirty-seven good men and true who fell during the agonising period of the Great War. The site had, if anything, a sentimental attraction. How many times in the calm and piping days of peace had the children of the township treaded the long path to the Spa well to quench their youthful thirst in the heat of the day. Now, many years afterwards, when the flower of the country’s manhood had been swept away by the devastating tide of modern warfare, on the same old place hallowed in the memory of childhood, a tapering obelisk marks the passing of a land where there is no eventide of many who were daily there in their boyhood days.

Tropical conditions prevailed during the proceedings, which were characterised by an earnestness which showed that the speakers felt the need for a general resolve to bring the old country into that state of civil and industrial prosperity, so that the ideals for which these men fought and fell might be realised.

The Mayor of Berwick (Councillor Bolus) attended, and he was accompanied by the Sheriff, (Mr R. Carr), Councillors Hadley and Edminson, Ald. Wilson, Councillor Redpath, Mr Robt. Dickinson, the Town Clerk (Mr D.S. Twigg), and the Revs Fergus Chambers, W. Brown, J. D. Bowman, J. H. Cuthbertson, and Wm. Jardine were also in attendance. Officers present, in addition to those taking part in the ceremony, were; – Col. W. B. Mackay, C.M.G., Major H. R. Smail, Capt. P. W. Maclagan, Capt.D. Hebenton, Capt. E. H. Crow, Lieut. J. P. Huffam, V.C., Lieut. Eric Mackay, and Capt. F. B. Cowen, M.C.

A guard of honour was provided by the 7^th N.F., and this body, under command of Capt. Cowen, lined up in the street in front of the memorial. They were inspected prior to the ceremony by Col. Commandant Riddell. Crowds lined the street and the high ground behind the memorial, the enclosure being reserved for relatives of the fallen and invited friends. A choir, under Mr John Moffat, led the singing of the fine old hymns chosen, and Mr Nicholson ably presided at the organ.

LOCAL NEWS

Mr Walter Clarence Holloway, an actor well known in Scottish theatrical circles, is on 2000 miles walking tour through Scotland for a wager. He is expected to arrive in Berwick about the week-end. Mr Holloway set out from Glasgow on 20^th April without a copper in his pocket, his only means of subsistence throughout the tour being derived from the sale of water colour paintings, which he executes enroute. He has already covered 1300 miles, passing through the West Highlands, Skye, and John O’Groats, and has only encountered bad weather on one day of his walk, when he walked into a wind and rainstorm at Cape Wrath.

BELFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL

A FIRE ENGINE

Mr James Clark, with a few to ascertaining the feeling of the Council, raised the question of the need for a fire engine in the district. There had been a good many fires in the district and considerable damage had been done to property. He brought forward the subject to have it discussed. He suggested that the Clerk write to the Norham and Islandshires and to the Glendale Councils and ask them to consider the question of a joint fire engine for the three Councils, and that a conference on the question at a future date be held. Sir E. C. Haggerston agreed, and the Council supported the suggestion.

BELFORD HIGH STREET, 1900S. REF: BRO 1519-007

Mr Johnson thought that as rates were now 200 per cent. Higher than before the war, they should let the mater be, even though there was no doubt a fire engine was needed. If Belford was to faced with a new fire engine as well as a new sewage scheme, the rate would be higher.

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS’ VISIT TO WOOLER

Members of the Committee of the North of England Commercial Travellers’ Benevolent association thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Wooler by a char-a-banc on Saturday. The arrangements were carried out by Mr Harry J. Welford and Mr James Laing. The luncheon was presided over by Sir Arthur m. Sutherland, Bart., and the vice-chair was occupied by Mr J. Laws, the vice-president.

Mr E. Taylor, the chairman of the Executive, proposing the health of the President, expressed hearty congratulations to Sir Arthur Sutherland upon the recent honour conferred upon him by the King.

Sir Arthur Sutherland, replying, thanked the gathering for the reception they had accorded him. Work, he said, was a grand thing, but some of them could get too much of it and too little recreation. Latterly, however, he was afraid that there had been a tendency to have too much recreation and too little work. He hoped that all would make up their minds to do their duty to the country, which at the present time needed work so much. We had had a tremendous set-back with the coal dispute, and it behoved everyone, commercial magnates included, to do all they could to redeem what we had lost, not only in the war, but since the war. We won the war by sacrifice, and we could not win the peace by selfishness, and he hoped that people would recognise that.

OTTER HUNTING

The otter hounds, which are at present having good sport on Tweed and its tributaries, met at Cornhill on Saturday. There was a very large following, which included Capt. And Mrs Collingwood, Capt. And Mrs Goodson, Mr G. Henderson, Mr J. Robertson, Mrs J. R. C. Cowan, Capt. Blake, Capt. Brummell, and many others. A fine otter was raised in the mill race on the Lees, which made for the river Leet. He was chased up this stream through part of the Hirsel policies. Just below the mansion house, where the overflow from the lake enters the leet through a built conduit, he gave hounds the slip.

The Northern Counties’ Hounds had a very fine day’s sport at Norham-on-Tweed. Casting off the master drew up the Tweed for a mile and finding the “sport” of an otter pointing downstream, he returned to the bridge and drew down the river. He soon hit off a catchy drag and the hounds carried it forward and below Norham Castle, where Rallywood and Garlie marked at an old weiring. The otter at once swam off and entered the back-water of the Tweed. After being hunted here for nearly an hour, the pace was too hot for the otter and he swam into the Tweed, and for over an hour a rare swimming hunt took place. The hounds had a fine “wash” on the stream and they gave their quarry no rest whatever, driving him from root to root and hover to hover. Eventually they killed a well spent dog otter of 28lbs, after a splendid Tweed hunt of two hours and a quarter.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 1ST JULY 1921

02/07/2021 by Northumberland Archives

PRIVILEGE TICKET ABUSE

BERWICK REFRESHMENT ROOM

MANAGERESS AND HER SISTER

The abuse of privilege tickets granted to servants of the North British railway led to charges at the Newcastle Police Court, on Friday, against two sisters, Catherine and Jennie Chisholme, the latter being charged with having aided and abetted, and Catherine with having travelled between Newcastle and Berwick on May 12^th with a privilege ticket.

The front of Berwick Railway Station — An early 20th Century postcard of the front of Berwick Railway Station

Superintendent Rodgers of the N.E.R. Police, stated that Jennie Chisholme was manageress of the North British Railway Company’s refreshment rooms at Berwick station and that, as a servant of the company, she was entitled to privilege ticket orders. On May 2^nd she was granted an order for herself for a return ticket from Berwick to Newcastle, and on her own initiative she applied for an order for a Miss Phimister, who was a barmaid in the refreshment room. On May 12^th she presented two orders at the booking office, but the clerk refused to issue a ticket for one as it was not signed. She went away and returned with it purporting to have been signed by Miss Phimister, and she was allowed tickets at 4s 11d, whereas the ordinary return far to Newcastle was 17s 2½d. Both sisters travelled to Newcastle and back. When Catherine Chisholme was seen at Berwick on May 27^th she said that she knew she had done wrong.

Defendants, who were not present but were represented, entered a plea of guilty, and Jennie was fined 40s, and Catherine 20s and costs.

LOCAL NEWS

The ceremony at which the conferring of the Honorary Freedom of the Borough on ex-Service men who have served overseas, at sea, or in the air during the war, will take place on Monday. As the proceedings are likely to be protracted, there will be no time devoted to speeches, the Mayor simply welcoming the men in the name of the Borough in a short address. The gallery of the Corn Exchange is being reserved for ladies. A lady’s ticket is being issued to each recipient of the Freedom who is attending, and also to members of the Corporation, justices and ministers on the platform. Music will be discoursed by an orchestra during the afternoon.

A meeting of the Freemen’s Guild was held in the Town Hall on Saturday last, the object being to get Freemen who are ex-Service men and who had not made application for admission to the roll of Honorary Freemen, to make application before the ceremony on Monday first.

Berwick Town Hall early 1900’s Ref: BRO 426-294

There was a poor representation of ex-Service men, but a few forms of application were issued to those desirous of enrolling. We understand that the impression has got abroad amongst Freemen that they were not supposed to apply for admission to the Honorary Roll. That, of course, is a misapprehension.

The Sunday School scholars attending St. Aiden’s Church, Berwick, accompanied by their parents and friends to the number of 370, proceeded on their annual picnic in nineteen gaily decorated farm carts to Paxton on Mid-Summer day. A field there was kindly lent by Mr Thorburn, and there the company settled down to a day’s enjoyment. Bright sunshine prevailed, and many of the company made for the Whitadder, where there was a cool breeze blowing. Lunch was served shortly after the company arrived at Paxton, and thereafter a short programme of sports, including a boys’ and girls’ Marathon, was gone through. A rather unfortunate accident took place during the afternoon, a little boy spraining his hand, but attention by Dr Fraser, who was present, soon had the young chap all right and able to continue enjoying himself. Great credit is due to Mr and Mrs Wardhaugh, Mrs Taylor and Mr T. Evans for the splendid manner in which the whole day’s enjoyment was organised. The company returned to Berwick about 8.30, thoroughly satisfied with the day’s outing.

FARM WORKERS’ GALA DAY

The annual Gala of the Workers’ Union took place on the Football Field, Wooler, on Saturday under ideal weather conditions. From early morn the sun shone brightly and though the heat was a little uncomfortable, especially for those who had to cycle from a distance, a cooling breeze at intervals crept down from amongst the hills, and tempered what would otherwise have been sweltering conditions.

The restricted railway service, owing to the coal crisis cut off this means of transit to the gala to some extent but ways and means of getting to Wooler were found by the workers, by bringing into use farm carts, cycles, and other means of wheel conveyance. In the early forenoon there was little evidence in Wooler that any event out of the ordinary was about to take place but by mid-day the streets began to be busy and hourly the throng was augmented. Visitors who are packed like sardines in the many pretty little villa residences clustering on the hillside were greatly interested in the event of the day, which has come to be looked upon as a red letter day in the life of Wooler.

Mr Geo. Blyth, the energetic joint secretary, was busy from early morning laying out the running tracks and wrestling wrings. He was ably assisted by a small committee who deserve to be congratulated on the huge step taken forward this year in organising the sports. A large wired ring was provided for the wrestling bouts, a great improvement on the crowd condition of affairs which prevailed in previous years, and everyone could watch the bouts with an uninterrupted view. The course for the flat racing was lined off and the marks clearly indicated, everything being provided to ensure the smooth working of the events. Another good feature this year was the means taken to ensure that there would be no congestion at the gates trough people requiring change. A “change box” was provided on the other side of the road to the entrance of the field where change was given to anyone requiring it, and the gate keepers were therefore not bothered. Increased prize money for the sports was another good draw, and with the staging of a few side shows and shooting galleries near the entrance the setting of the field was a credit to the ability of Mr Blyth as an organiser.

At two o’clock Kelso Pipe Band swung into the field playing the “Blue Bonnets” and with them came a seemingly never ending stream of people in holiday attire. Some 2500 had passed through the gates by another hour and the field presented an animated appearance. Lemonade and ice-cream vendors did a roaring trade, being sold out of large stocks very quickly. The heat at times was almost unbearable and it was no wonder that Mr A. D. Morton’s cool tea tent should prove one of the busiest centres on the field.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 6TH MAY 1921

07/05/2021 by Northumberland Archives

ORD WAR MEMORIAL

As will be seen from our advertising columns, Ord War Memorial will be unveiled on Sunday, 8^th May, at 2.30 by Vice Admiral Sir Dudley R. S. de Chair, K.C.B., M.V.O. The memorial has been erected in the centre of the village green and is 18 feet in height. It is on a concrete base with steps all round, and is of local rock-faced freestone coursers built in block with teethed plinth. A marble tablet with the names of the fallen is set into a framing of Northumberland whinstone. From the whinstone arises an octagonal column finished with a white marble cross. The work has been carried out by Messrs M. Gray & Sons, builders, and W. Wilson & Sons, sculptors, from plans prepared by Mr Lake, Surveyor, East Ord.

In addition to the contractors’ work a large amount of gratuitous service and labour has been given, and the War Memorial Committee feel deeply indebted to all these who so generously assisted in the carrying out of the work. Sir Dudley de Chair was born in 1854 and was educated on H.M.S., Britannia and entered the Navy in 1878. He served in the Egyptian War and was appointed Naval Attache to U.S. America in 1902. He commanded H.M.S. Bacchante, Cochrane and Colossus from 1905 to 1912 and was appointed Assistant Controller of the Navy in 1910, and Naval Secretary to the First Lord of Admiralty in 1912. In 1914 he was appointed Admiral of the Training Services, being also made a C.B. that year. He commanded the 10^th Cruiser Squadron and 3^rd Battle Squadron during the war from 1914 to 1916 and went with Mr. A J. Balfour’s Mission to U.S.A. in 1917.

LOCAL NEWS

For several hours on Wednesday morning snow fell heavily in the hill districts of Berwickshire, where in some quarters it lay as deep as half an inch, much to the concern of the flockmasters, with whom the lambing season is not yet over. Fruit trees were severely blighted by the severity of the weather.

They say it is very bad luck to turn back. A man who had started out with his wife to the pictures suddenly remembered that he had left his coal shed unlocked. He risked his luck, went back, turned the key in the door, and put it in his pocket. On returning three hours later he found a neighbour in a state of great indignation. “What’s the matter?” he asked innocently. “What’s the matter!” was the retort. “Do you know that you have locked my wife up in your coal shed!”

BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

CORPORATION FOREMAN USES VIOLENCE

William Gardiner, Wallace Green, Berwick, was charged with unlawfully assaulting Gordon McLean on the 30th April 1921. Mr Peters prosecuted, and Mr Gregory defended. Gardiner pleaded that he was guilty of gripping McLean, but not with striking him.

Gordon Mclean said he lived as 6 Hatter’s Lane. On last Saturday night he was standing at the end of Walkergate with other men when two dogs started to fight and came against his legs. He put out his foot to keep the dogs back. He never kicked the dogs, and never knew anything more until Gardiner seized him by the throat from behind and bent him backwards nearly to the ground. Witness was exhausted when Gardiner was called off by the police.

REF: LB.9.6.24 Hatter’s Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Peter Robson, rabbit-catcher, corroborated, and said McLean, after holding the dogs off with his foot, stepped back. He never kicked the dogs and gave Gardiner no provocation.

John Flannigan, Hatter’s Lane, gave similar evidence, and this was borne out by William Wilson.

William Gardiner, on his own behalf, said he was coming up the street with his brother-in-law, who had his terrier with him. Witness’ dog was playing with the terrier, when there was a blue dog ran at them. They chased it, when he saw McLean lift his foot and make a swinging kick at it. He caught McLean as he spun round, but he did not bend him back.

By Mr Peters-witness admitted that there was a little fight with the three dogs. He was not in a temper when he gripped McLean, only a little excited. The police came on the scene and Sergt. Wilson said “William, go home!”

The bench found the case proved and imposed the fine of £1 with witnesses and fees, 28s 5d, or 13 days’ imprisonment.

NATURE NOTE

The first swift arrived in Berwick this year on April 30th. It was first seen at 9 p.m. Fifteen minutes later it joined by another over the town. In 1920 the first swift was also seen on April 30th “hawking” over Church Street. In 1919 the first swift was not seen in Berwick until May 8th; in 1918 the first arrived on May 9th. The first martins were seen on April 21st, 1921 at Canties Bridge. On the 24th the sand martin was seen behind the Pier. On the 24th terns were seen passing over the Pier bound to their more northern nesting grounds. A few remained on Sunday, and there are now several in the river. Several migrants such as the willow-wren and the chiff-chaff have been heard, also on April 24th. A month earlier, the earliest of all migrants, the wheatear was seen on Scremerston banks. Several solan geese have been observed flying quarter of a mile off the end of the Pier, and a few beautiful eider ducks are frequent visitors off the Pier end. They will shortly move to their breeding quarters on the Farne islands. The buds are setting on the hawthorn, promising to burst by the middle of May, which is very early for Northumberland.

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