It was the last day that the afternoon treats for Manchester’s children would take place.
Throughout the summer holiday’s they had taken place at Platt Field’s Park. Now, when sitting down for tea, a battery of territorial army artillery with its ammunition train came rumbling and clanking into their playground.
With fears for food supplies since the outbreak of war, it was curious that the price of fish, poultry and game had fallen to their lowest point.The cause, when looked into was the stoppage of exports with the products consequently flooding the home market.
The price of lobster, for those who could afford it, had fallen by nearly half in a week.Meanwhile there was more good news as Danish food ships reached Britain that morning.
It was announced that there were over two thousand German nationals in Manchester, eight hundred had already registered at the town hall and four hundred in Salford.Those that didn’t were threatened with immediate arrest, a fine of £100 and six months in prison with hard labour.
The Evening News reported that scouts and boys brigades were already in action across the region, guarding railway bridges, reservoirs and strategic points on the public highway.
From Europe, there were were reports of a large battle along the river Meuse with fighting said to be severe while German artillery were opening up long range attacks on French villages .However reports were confused.
Blackpool corporation was advertising in the local papers that visiors to the town could enjoy normal conditions.
“bread and provisions as cheap as any town in England, and prices at hotels,boarding houses restaurants and cafés were as they were before the war”
The advertisements added that there were still daily steamboat excursions from the sea front.
