On This Day, 24 April 1916

Birmingham Mail

Monday 24 April 1916

A “STAY-AT-HOME” BANK HOLIDAY

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

The Bank Holiday to-day was to a great extent “stay-at-home” holiday. In normal times the Eastertide vacation – being the first respite from work of the year – appeals perhaps more strongly to the artisan than any of other Bank Holidays of the year. The holiday railway traffic then usually reaches its highest point, and thousands take advantage of the opportunity of a spending a few days at the seaside in the country. The circumstances incidental to the war have, however, prevented any lengthy holiday making this year. The high pressure of industrialism is maintained, and many of the large works and factories were closed for a shorter period than usual; but probably the chief factor making for a local holiday was that the railway companies did not offer excursion facilities. The effect was that most people spent the Bank Holiday in the neighbourhood in which they lived, though the amount of railway holiday traffic was nevertheless considerable. Among this working class community there is no scarcity of money, and ordinary fares were paid without demur. The railway timetables were curtailed, but in a few instances, owing to the heavy bookings, it was found necessary to run duplicate trains to popular Midland resorts, such as Stratford-on-Avon, Worcester, Evesham, and places just outside the city’s borders, like Sutton Coldfield and Barnt Green.
The weather was dull, rather cold, and showery in the early morning, but later the conditions much improved, and large crowds flocked into the city. The places of amusement were well patronised, and the city parks claimed thousands of visitors. Trams and omnibuses were thronged from midday onwards, and suburbia and rural Birmingham were visited today to a greater extent than on any previous Bank Holiday.
At the Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, the conservatories were open to the large crowds of visitors, and the Bournville Prize Band played selections during the day. Edgbaston Reservoir was also a centre of attraction, boating, roller-skating, etc., providing diversion, whilst music was discoursed by the boys’ band of the Shenley Fields Cottage Homes, Northfield. In the afternoon, too, there were two attractive football matches, Birmingham playing Crystal Palace at St. Andrew’s and the Villa and Albion meeting at West Bromwich, both matches drawing big attendances.