The East Lancashires Territorials were being established in three camps in the south east of the country , the Manchester brigade at Littleborough,the The East Lancs at Bury and the Lancashire Fusiliers at Turton.
The war was beginning to have an impact on Manchester’s shops with evidence that households were cutting back. However, so far the restaurant trade had been little effected and the coffee houses and cafés was showing little sign of loss of trade.
The importance of the Port of Manchester in the forthcoming conflict was being realised, even though Liverpool had, said the correspondent,
“not failed to take advantage of this fine opportunity for blowing its own trumpet and egotistic ally declaring that it will become the one great riveting place for food stuffs from around the world.”
That same day came news that an eighteen year old Liverpool man had been charged under the official secrets act with passing information to the Germans four months previously about the state of the Mersey defences.
Normal life continued though-Twenty six year old John Miller was charged with burglary in Stretford.The occupant of No. 6 Stanley Lane being woken in the early hours by the defendant wearing a mask and pointing the revolver at his head as his wife screamed.
News from the continent reported fierce fighting between Belgium and German troops along a large battle line on the approach to Brussels. There were reported that the Belgium government was preparing to abandon Brussels and move its seat of government to Antwerp.
The British Expeditionary force was, we were told being transported by rail to the front where it was assumed that they would soon be called into action.
There were reports of skirmishes in the North Sea between the British and German fleets but the Admiralty insisted that there had been no casualties.
