Furness life on eve of Somme battle in 1916

We can get a taste for what life was like from the advertisements and news pages.

There was a hint at things to come from a brief report from British headquarters in France, dated Tuesday, June 27, describing what we now know was the preliminary bombardment before the troops went “over the top” from their trenches on July 1.

The article noted: “It certainly cannot be said that things have been quiet upon the Western Front during the last two days.

“The British artillery has been boisterous at many points on the line.”

Striking Barrow munitions workers were warned that they were breaking the law.

They were given 48 hours to return to work or face legal proceedings.

Tribunals had been held in Ulverston, Grange and Barrow to deal with men who wanted exemption from conscription for military service.

The men who sat in judgement effectively held the power of life or death over those brought before them.

At Ulverston, the Coniston Electrolytical Copper Company’s case was made by manager Mr Calderwood.

He had 16 copper workers over military age but was successful in keeping another seven who were young enough for the army.

Most of them were ore sorters, looking through Victorian spoil heaps for stone which could give up copper metal through a high-tech electrical process.

The Barrow News noted: “The tribunal decided that the work was of national importance.”

At Barrow, plumber James Fairweather wanted to keep his apprentice Walter John Lange, who it was claimed could not be replaced.

The application was refused and Lange joined the Royal Garrison Artillery and later a labour company of the Middlesex Regiment.

He died of wounds on November 6 in 1918 at No. 8 Casualty Clearing Station and was buried at Pont-de-Nieppe Communal Cemetery, France.

In the 1911 census he is shown as an apprentice riveter living at Howe Street, Barrow.

You could buy a terraced house in Gloucester Street, Barrow, for £210, while one with a bay window in Harley Street was £330.

At His Majesty’s Theatre, in Albert Street, Barrow, it was the last night for Will Gane’s show called Pierrot, Pierrette and Piano.

It was being replaced by Superbs by the Vaudeville Concert Party under the direction of Will Ambro.

The Electric Theatre, in Buccleuch Street, Barrow, had a film called The Long Arm of the Secret Service.

At the Palace, Millom, you could see silent movie star Mary Pickford in The Criminal Code.

The Coliseum, on the corner of Abbey Road and Rawlinson Street, Barrow, had a variety show including the curiously-named Rubber Rompers.

Victoria Palace in Ulverston had a two-part drama called Jest of Jealousy.

At St Mary’s Church, Ulverston, there was the society marriage of Sybil Kennedy, daughter of Myles Kennedy, of Stone Cross mansion.

She married Flt/Cmdr James William Ogilvy Dalgleish if the Royal Naval Air Service.

Walter Wilkinson, a prisoner of war of the Germans at Wittenberg in Saxony wrote a letter to his drinking pals at the Burlington Vaults, Barrow.

Timothy Ellwood, 16, of Backbarrow was hit by a train while crossing the track near Haverthwaite on the Lakeisde branch.

Fred Newman, manager of the Palace Theatre, Barrow, was to build a new picture theatre at Ulverston, to be called The Palace. A garden party to raise cash for overseas missionary work was held at the vicarage in Kirkby and was opened by vicar, the Reverend G. W. Sykes.

A Millom police officer on plain-clothes duty was assaulted while trying to put a stop to illegal gambling at Green Road.

The Barrow men had stayed on following a hound trail to bet sixpences and shillings on a dice game called crown and anchor.

The players were all given £1 fines.

A couple called Cardwell, living at Croft Terrace, Gleaston, were struck by lightning which came down the chimney and split the wallpaper and plaster.

Mr Cardwell suffered shock and his wife was thrown across the room.