Tag Archives: Sunderland

Diary entries which mention places and events in and around the Sunderland area. See also Sunderland map.

5 August 1914; Wednesday

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War declared against Germany by England

Busy at work. Great excitement caused through war.1

War declared against Germany by England.2

Joe and I went to Roker at night and saw 5 different bodies of soldiers on parade. Soldiers placed in the Salvation Army barracks, Thompson Memorial Hall, Royal Hospital, Roker House, Mrs Chester’s and Lister’s, Reserve houses, Skating Rink, barracks, pottery plot, and warehouses on the docks. Digging trenches along Roker Way. We saw the big 4.7 guns go out to Cleadon. Ernie & Hilda got a baby daughter.

  1. Most of Britain at the time, outside of Westminster and Whitehall, didn’t know about the final commitment to war until the 5th of August. ↩

  2. ALL’s use here of “England” where one might have expected “Britain” may seem odd but was quite usual at the time – many contemporary newspaper reports similarly cite “England” – for example, see this reprint from the Guardian’s archive, which uses both “England” and “Great Britain”, and this from the New York Times. Incidentally, up to the mid-20th century “North Britain” was still occasionally used, and well understood, to mean “Scotland”, which is consistent with interchangeability between “Britain” and “England”. ↩

3 August 1914; Monday

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Charlie, Willie Whittaker and I went to Seaside Lane on the car1 and walked from there to Marsden and on to South Shields. Crossed the ferry and walked to Tynemouth2. Car back to the penny ferry3, got the train to Sunderland and arrived about 6 o’clock. Fine day and pleasant time. Saw the defending† arrangements at Frenchman’s Bay4, South Shields, and Tynemouth. A large quantity of parapet wired off there†, and the wall in front of the guns levelled to the ground.

International affairs much worse. Grave conjecture as to what England5 will do.

Went to Whitburn at night with Willie Whittaker.

  1. Car means tram-car, as usual. ↩

  2. Curiously, the vowel-signs in the shorthand clearly indicate the pronunciation “Tinmouth”. ↩

  3. “Penny” ferries were for foot-passengers. In the 1947/8 Ordnance Survey revision, there were still a foot-­ferry and a vehicle‐ferry from North to S. Shields, and another foot-­ferry from Whitehill Point to S. Shields. ↩

  4. Frenchman’s Bay is between Marsden Bay and the mouth of the Tyne, adjacent to modern South Shields. ↩

  5. England: See note on 5 August. ↩

1 August 1914; Saturday

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Very busy at work1. Didn’t finish until about 3 o’clock. Went to Roker at night with Willie and Charlie. Called round by the East End Carnival & crossed the ferry2. Fine night.

German ultimatum to Russia and note to France. King George intervenes. France mobilising and Germany declares War on Russia.

  1. Saturday morning working was of course normal – as it remained until the 1960s. ↩

  2. There was a tiny steam ferry between Monkwearmouth and old Sunderland (ie downstream from the modern bridge), still operating until some time after WWII, at 1 old penny each way. ↩

25 July 1914; Saturday

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Busy all morning at work. Boxed with Charlie in the afternoon and played a bit. Read a bit and went over to Roker at night with Willie Whittaker. Listened to the band and walked along to Whitburn and carred1 back. Rather cold night. Charlie at work.

Servia’s2 answer considered unsatisfactory. Austrian ministers leaving Belgrade.

  1. “Carred”: rode on the tram-car. ↩

  2. See note on 23 July about this spelling of Serbia. ↩

18 July 1914; Saturday

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Finished about 1.30. Went to cricket match with Father. Saw Sunderland beat Hendon. Pretty good match. Went to Roker at night by myself. Scarcely saw anyone I knew. Met young George Wilkinson and spoke for a moment or two. Listened to the band for a few minutes. Came up on the car1 by myself.

  1. “Car” means “tram-car”, as usual. ↩

11 July 1914; Saturday

July 1914, ,

Walked up to the town with Charlie in the morning. Met Edward Hodges in Crowtree Road and talked with him for a long time. Called at Grandmother’s on Saturday afternoon and went with Charlie and Jack to Caslaw Tate1 stall and spent most of the afternoon waiting for Jack outside the shops. Went to Roker at night and heard Lucas’s band. It was very good and there were a good many people down. Came home fairly late.

  1. If “Caslaw Tate” is correct, it is possibly Caslaw, Hayter & Tate, the principal local men’s and boys’ draper. ↩