Friday 7 November 2014

Smoke Less, Buy Knitting Wool

From the Holme Valley Express, November 7th 1914.

LESS TOBACCO; MORE COMFORTS

The various branches of the Red Cross Society in the district are rendering invaluable service.  In this connection the Rev. P. L. Snowden, vicar of Hepworth, makes a suggestion to the men: -- “There is a great demand for wool to knit, and as the men at home are able to do little practical work for the nation, it has been suggested that they should only smoke half as much as usual, and give their savings to the fund.  They can drop their money into an ornament on the chimney piece until they have got enough, and then send it on to the Vicarage, or Mrs. J. W. Swallow, by a child, if they don’t want to bring it themselves.”

[This amused me, partly because of the assumption that men are no use to the country at all, unless they have joined the army  - they can't knit, all they can do is cut down on their smoking.  I also like the detailed instructions for how to collect the money, in an ornament on the chimney piece - men are so useless, they have to be told even that.  The Vicar obviously knows his parishioners.]  

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