"Kind hearts are more than coronets."

January 14, 2016 10:16 AM

Peterborough & The Great War. At the Peterborough (UK) East Railway Station during 1916 and 1917, the Women’s United Total Abstinence Council ran a tea stall. There were two visitors books there signed by the soldiers travelling to and from the various fronts during World War I which have been digitised for the website.

The site had its media launch on Jan 13 2016 on the BBC, Sky News, ITV Anglia and The Guardian. Some of the inscriptions aren't translated but those that are link to the soldier's page with (sometimes) more info on the men themselves.

posted by Zack_Replica (13 comments total)

I'm more interested in the Women’s United Total Abstinence Council and what their story/deal was (beyond the obvious). But there doesn't seem to be much information on them.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:36 AM on January 14, 2016

The temperance movement had a bit of a boost during WW1, since the government was also keen to curb drinking. Stricter licensing laws came into place, some breweries and pubs were nationalised, and alcohol was more heavily taxed.

Usually they would try to convince young men to make do with coffee, chocolate or tea (as in this case), but up here in northwestern England there was also a wave of "temperance bars" which would serve soft drinks like sarsaparilla, dandelion & burdock and - that great Mancunian invention - Vimto. There's still one operating in Rawtenstall, and I was talking to a lass from Leeds last year who was trying to get a new one off the ground.
posted by sobarel at 11:17 AM on January 14, 2016 [2 favorites]

Talking to a Lass from Leeds would be a great user/band name. So would Women’s United Total Abstinence Council, now that I think of it.

Also, great FPP.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:30 AM on January 14, 2016 [2 favorites]

WUTAC Clan?
posted by sobarel at 11:46 AM on January 14, 2016 [11 favorites]

I apologize for the derail, but the title of this post reminded me I really need to re-watch Kind Hearts and Coronets. Alec Guiness is great in that.
posted by JaredSeth at 1:32 PM on January 14, 2016 [5 favorites]

A spot of tea before being shoved into the abattoir is just so England.
posted by um at 2:17 PM on January 14, 2016 [3 favorites]

a spot of tea before... i am reading rites of spring which i am sure came from a recommendation here . it is a brilliant book about the first world war, and one thing it asks is "why did people keep fighting?" - the sense of duty, of tradition, of one's place in the world drove all sides. it's fascinating.

i cannot imagine a temperance bar in leeds. but maybe it's got posher since i lived there.
posted by andrewcooke at 2:57 PM on January 14, 2016 [1 favorite]

Full of recovering alcoholics seemed to be the angle she was going for.

I really need to re-watch Kind Hearts and Coronets. Alec Guiness is great in that.

Everyone should watch it. Hardly a day goes by I don't think about Alec Guinness dressed as a suffragette falling out of a hot air balloon.
posted by sobarel at 3:23 PM on January 14, 2016 [3 favorites]

The temperance movement had a bit of a boost during WW1, since the government was also keen to curb drinking.

They certainly were

After the outbreak of World War I the Defence of the Realm Act was passed by Parliament in 1914. One section of the Act concerned the hours pubs could sell alcohol, as it was believed that alcohol consumption would interfere with the war effort. It restricted opening hours for licensed premises to luncheon (12:00 to 14:40) and supper (18:30 to 21:30).

And it lasted until the late 1980's.
posted by unliteral at 5:03 PM on January 14, 2016

Poor Ginger

The Commanding Brigadier General of the 93rd Brigade considered that Private Wilkinson was affected by gas poison owing to eating porridge cooked in water taken from a shell hole. Private Wilkinson was ignorant at the time he ate the porridge of the source of the water.

Interesting post Zack_Replica.
posted by unliteral at 5:18 PM on January 14, 2016

What a fine document. Thank you, Zack_Replica.
posted by doctornemo at 3:42 PM on January 15, 2016

And it lasted until the late 1980's.

Well, sort of. The requirement to close at some point in the afternoon was maintained until the Licencing Act 1988, but evening closing times in most areas were already 10:30 or 11:00pm by the late 80s.
posted by howfar at 12:19 PM on January 16, 2016

And, equally, I remember drinking in pubs in the 90s that would close after the lunchtime session. So some of the restrictions carried on after the 80s, even if only voluntarily.
posted by howfar at 12:21 PM on January 16, 2016