Drink and the Lancashire Press p135

Abstract

The UK Alliance, the organisation set up to campaign for legal restrictions on drink, presented this digest of Lancashire press reports where drink was involved, for the last six months of 1929. It gives some fascinating insights into behaviour, and attitudes to this, in the late nineteen twenties.

11. J.T.D. Huddled up in driving seat and fell out when asked to get out of car. He had had nothing to eat for three days and during that day had five whiskies and milk.
12. F.C.D. Struck policeman in the back and knocked him down. He had had four bottles of stout during the day.
14. M.C. (Manchester). Observed to be drunk. He said he had had two bottles of stout and eleven eggs for his tea.
15. R.B. (37). Drove car on to footpath. Staggered about and smelt of alcohol. He had had two bottles of Bass.
16. F.B. (Southport). Had been spending an hour or two with friends: one Christmas glass extra: realised he was losing control: pulled into side of road and fell asleep.
17. H.B. (38), chauffeur. Mistook corner: had six or seven beers between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
18. E.M.A. (19). Fell off his motor cycle: too much to drink: there was a previous conviction of drunk and incapable.
19. J.A., commercial traveller (Wallasey) drove into barricade, policeman had to jump aside. Found to be under the influence of drink.
20. H.C.O. (32), taxi-driver: drunk in charge: called policeman “lovee” and when asked to get out of taxi fell down.

F. DRINKING SCENES AND DRUNKENNESS (650 cases: 100 women)

Such paragraphs as the following from the Liverpool Express, August 6th, 1929, are significant :-
“There were only twenty-six cases of drunkenness at the Liverpool Police Court today compared with forty cases on Monday.”
The following cases are quite typical of the whole :-

1. A very bad case of collective drunkenness was reported in the Wigan Observer on October 5th, 1929. Eleven young men and three young women, members of a charabanc party visiting Abbey Lakes, charged with being drunk and disorderly using obscene language and assaulting licensee. Ages varied from 17 to 23. Policeman stated that he had never seen a more discreditable crowd in his life. The whole charabanc party was drunk but the defendants were the worst.
2. War Widow of “Model Village”, with pension of £2 per week, drunk, swearing at children.
3. Woman, aged 43, drunk in charge of a child.
4. Woman found soaked through after heavy rain storm on the parking ground at Blackpool. Would have probably died from exposure if the police had not discovered her.
5. Well known Bolton solicitor helplessly drunk on licenced premises.
6. Youngman of 28 drunk with his five months’ old child in his arms.
7. Seventeen year old youth drunk and fighting in the street.