Berkshire and The War: the "Reading Standard" pictorial record. Volume 1. pg63
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Tommy Atkins Off Duty
Image Details
| Title | Berkshire and The War: the "Reading Standard" pictorial record. Volume 1. pg63 |
|---|---|
| Date | 1916 |
| Page number | Unknown |
| Publisher | Reading Standard |
| Description | 224 pages bound volume |
| Horizon Number: | 1246254 |
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OCR Text
Tommy Atkins O ff Duty.
O f th e n u m erou s resorts
p ro v id e d f o r th e troop s in
Reading d u rin g th e tim e
h u n d red s w ere b ille te d in
th e to w n , n on e was m ore
p o p u la r th a n Sutton's
Recreation Club in King's Road , th e m em b ers o f
which d id a ll in th eir
pow er to m a k e th e p lace
a h o m e fr o m h o m e fo r
T o m m y A tk in s.
Thanks
t o th e g e n e ro s ity o f th e
firm , w h ich d e fr a y e d th e
e n tire co st o f entertaining
th e sold iers, an
abundant su p p ly
of papers an d
m ag a zin es
was p ro v id e d in th e Reading
R o o m , and th e Abbey
Hall w as fitted w ith tw o
full-size billiard tables,
while chess, d ra u g h ts and
d om in oes w ere also a v a ilÂ
able. T h e p la ce w as op en
all d a y d u rin g th e w eek
and o n S u n d a y a fte r n o o n
an d e v e n in g ,
an d as
m an y as 200 m en w ere
o ft e n in th e room s a t a
tim e, w h ile h u n d red s o f
letters an d postcards
w ere re ce iv ed an d w ritten
da ily , n o ch a r g e b ein g
m ade f o r s ta tio n e ry . R e
fresh m en ts w ere served at
low p rices, an.d th ere was
go o d la v a to r y a cco m m od a tio n .
In th e e a rly weeks o f th e w ar, w hen
th e m ilita ry a u th orities
co u ld n o t p rov id e a d e
q u a te a cco m m o d a tio n to r
th e recru its w ho p o u re d
in to th e Barrack s, m an y
fo u n d beds a t th e club .
F o r so m e tim e concerts
w ere g iv e n a t fre q u e n t
, intervals, a n d e v e r y ev en
in g sold iers an d m em b ers
o f th e clu b in d u lg ed in
m usic a n d song, m a n y o f
th e v isitors s h ow in g co n
sid e ra b le ta le n t.
The spiritual w e lfa re o f t h e
m en was n o t lost s ig h t o f ,
and addresses w ere given
on S u n d a ys b y th e la te
C ol. Morton an d oth ers,
w hile M iss Edith Sutton
co n d u cte d a Bible Class.
B etw een five an d six
th ou sa n d co p ie s o f L o rd
Robert's soldiers' prayer
and th e khaki N ew Testament w ere g iv e n aw ay,
th e n a m e a n d n u m b er o f
th e re c ip ie n t b e in g in
scrib ed in euch v olu m e.
T h e Royal Seed Establishment Lecture Hall, eq u ip p ed by Messrs. Sutton
and Sons as a Recreation Club fo r th e u se o f His Majesty 's Forces .
COPYRIGHT S. &. S.