Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 286
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[Page 286]
so completely that one discovers oneself endeavouring to draw mental pictures of the former occupants arrayed in all their, sometimes delicately decorated, armour or startlingly fantastic finery yet living their lives subject to all the pleasures, pains, & passions which appear so common place in the present day.
At times it seems hard to realise that the men & women in those wonderful days were alike & akin to those now breathing Gods good air & yet perhaps many who now stand out like land marks in the history of time, may in the present day have passed unheeded or unnoticed.
After leaving Edinburgh, Liverpool. Its shipping facilities on the River Mersey brought it home to one, of Britains power on the water in Commerce as in Warfare. Mile after mile is crambed with docks affording accommodation for vessels of all classes & sizes & the continual going & coming would hardly indicate that a terrible war was raging within less than 50 miles.
However, that most of the outdoor places of amusement were closed to the Public indefinitely was sufficient to show that things were not quite normal, although in the City itself there was nothing to indicate such a portentious occurrence. Liverpool although not a very attractive city is one teeming with the busy life of Commerce being kept busily alive with ships coming & going from & to all ports of the whole world.
Journeying through the Midland Cities Manchester Birmingham etc to a more or less appear very much alike although on close inspection or enquiry each & every one has really some prominent or specially distinct trade or commodity for which it stands out quite apart from all others. The Cities towns villages Country roads & even the main roads are all very much alike in appearance style method etc in one County as in another that to a casual visitor, he will hardly realise that in the course of one day he may have passed through two