It was August bank holiday weekend and Passengers numbers at Manchester’s railway stations eclipsed all records since the war began.It was easily the biggest day of the year as trains headed for the North Eales and Lancashire coast that weekend.

With fewer trains than normal, the Evening News said that it would have been difficult if one did not understand the British temperament and the detachment of the British mind to realise that this country was engaged in the greatest struggle in history if he had visited Manchester’s stations today. 

Every train was literally packed with passengers and the situation continued the report was not without an element of danger with people thronging up the steps eight a rest and inching their way along the platforms. 

The Manchester Pals enjoyed the Bank Holiday at their training camp in Grantham, taking part in two sporting events as well as cycling, motoring and walking in the surrounding districts. 

Four people were killed and five injured when a boiler exploded at a Bury Boiler works that weekend.The accident at Spencer Curdale Ltd occurred three quarters of an hour into the nightshift with people over a mile away shaken from their chairs. 

There was fatal motor car accident that same night in Broughton with a nine year old boy on the Bury new Road. The boy ran out from behind two parked lorries, the inquest later returned a verdict of accidental death. 

A shunter was killed at Oldham Road Goods station after being crushed between the buffers on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, George Chantler of Rochdale Road died on his way to Manchester infirmary. 

The war had been going on for exactly one year with people reminded how Germany had broken the treaty by which she bound herself to the neutrality of Belgium and Luxembourg. 

92,479 men had joined up in the first year, nowhere throughout the British empire said the Evening News has the call of duty met with a more inspiring response.Manchester has given unstintingly men,money and munitions. 

There was a special service at Manchester Cathedral to mark the first year of the war, attended by three hundred wounded soldiers from the local military hospitals with an address given by Dean Bishop Welldon. 

The City Stipendary announced its decision over the use of gaming machines at an address on Oldham Road.The defendants had various summons over the use of the machines, the question was whether the machines were a game of skill or chance and whether they were played in a gaming house. 

The two automatic machines were worked with a penny and halfpenny, and a large number of juvenile boys were playing the machines. 

The judges decided that the machines were indeed gaming machines but they were a game of skill and lawful.However all gaming in a common gaming house was unlawful and likely to be injurious to those taking part. 

“Considering the age and class of these lads using the machines, the length of time spent with them playing them as compared with the mains of these players, the gaming was such as to encourage improvidence and habits of gambling and therefore would injure the morals of those who used the machines”

Manchester magistrates also heard the case that week of a women from Prestwich prosecuted for going on a spree with soldiers while lambing her six children to tend for themselves.She was found upstairs with a soldier, the children’s bedrooms were filthy, the house generally dirty and the children including a ten week old baby poorly nourished and badly clad.  

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