South Tyneside December 2015 Meeting Report

[Annf]

Members attended the meeting held on the 9th December when the speaker was Anthea Lang, who gave her customary informative and comprehensive presentation entitled 'Life on the Home Front during WW1'.

Some of the features included in the talk were the formation of local battalions such as the Northumberland Fusiliers Tyneside Scottish and Irish, and the DLI Gateshead battalion; the influx of Belgium refugees into our area; and also how women took over occupations previously undertaken by men, e.g. tram conductors, firemen and even the formation of women's football teams.  Anthea went on to discuss zeppelin raids, with particular reference to Palmers Yard in Jarrow, and how the sinking of the Lusitania was instrumental in arousing feelings, which in turn lead to attacks on German run pork butcher shops.

The Branch meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday each month in the Visitors Centre, St Hildas Church, South Shields, at the new time of 1.30 pm.  The January 2016 meeting will be a forum on the theme 'Childhood Memories of Christmas', and members are asked to bring along an applicable memento which they would like to talk about.  All members and guests are welcome to attend the meeting, which is usually followed by afternoon 'tea' at the Customs House.