On This Day, 9 November 1918

Birmingham Mail 

Saturday 9 November 1918

WHEN PEACE COMES!

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CELEBRATIONS IN BIRMINGHAM

HOW THE PUBLIC WILL BE NOTIFIED.

Arrangements have now been made on the lines suggested in the Mail yesterday, by a committee convened by the Lord Mayor to bring to the notice of the public the news of the signing of the armistice as soon as it is received, and to celebrate the great event in a fitting manner.

As soon the official announcement reaches Birmingham, two maroons will be fired, with an interval of about a minute, from police, fire, and anti-aircraft stations of the city. The maroons ascend to a height of about 1,000 feet, and explode with a very loud noise; and after explosion a reddish smoke hangs in the air for few momenta.

The warning be given from the following places:— Upper Priory, Digbeth, Wellington Road, Ladywood Road, Victoria Road, Stirchley, Reddith Road, King’s Norton, Rose Road, Harborne, Maas Road, Northfield. Albion Street, Dudley Road, Stafford Road, Kenyon Street, Bridge Street West, Lozells Road, Holyhead Road, Witton, Quinton, Sandwell, Brandswood End. Mason Road, Erdington, Victoria Road, Aston, Lingard Street, Bordesley Green, Washwood Heath Road, Duke Street, Stechford, Chester Street, Court Road, Sparkhill, Silver Street, King’s Heath, Moseley Road, Moseley Street, Woodbridge Road, Yardley Road, Acock’s Green, Coventry Road, Small Heath. Adderley Park, Selly Oak, Hay Mill, Castle Bromwich.

In the event of the news arriving between twelve midnight and 7am, the maroons will be fired at 7 a.m. The Lord Mayor, in asking the factories that whistles and burners should be sounded, particularly requests that nothing shall done until the official intimation which will be given at the earliest possible moment has been received. Arrangements have been made for the church bells of the city to be rung, and clergy and ministers are asked to help to see that this form of celebration is carried out. On the evening of the day that the news arrives, flares are to be shown in Victoria Square. Fire balloons will be sent up, and anti-aircraft searchlights will play over the city. Bands will play in the Square, and speeches will be delivered by the Lord Mayor and other prominent citizens. Led by the band, the public will sing the Doxology. If the news arrives late at night the above programme will be carried out on the following evening.

The Lord Mayor requests that the day after the arrival of the news shall be observed as far possible as a general holiday, and factories and shops closed. There will be appropriate celebrations at the schools, after which the children will be dismissed for the day. A thanksgiving service will be held at the pro- Cathedral at twelve o’clock, at which the Lord Mayor and Corporation will attend in state, and wherever possible, factories the city will, by request, at one o’clock again blow their syrens. Maroons also will again be fired at this time. During the day bands will parade the streets, and about six o’clock march to Calthorpe, Victoria, Ward End, Handsworth, Summerfield, and Harborne Parks, where, it is hoped, there will be displays of fireworks. Arrangements are also on foot to have bonfires Barr Beacon and the Lickey Hills. During the evening a band will play in Victoria Square, and Bengal fires will be let off.

The Chief Constable specially requests, in the interest of public order, that during the celebrations the people moving about the streets will observe the rule of keeping to the right. As was the case when peace was declared at the conclusion of the Boer-war, the police will as far as possible divide the streets into two parts—to keep the streams for sightseers moving in the same direction on the same side.

The Lord Mayor joins with the Chief Constable in requesting the public to celebrate the great occasion, especially in view of the great number of families who have lost relatives in the war, decorously, without rowdyism, and without any recurrence of mafficking.

The Archdeacons of the diocese state that they “very much hope that all the incumbents will comply if possible with the suggestion received from the Lord Mayor that simultaneous thanksgiving services be held in every church at noon on the day following the announcement of an armistice; also that church bells be rung immediately on receiving the announcement if it is at a convenient time, and for half an hour before the thanksgiving service. This will further be carrying into effect the desires of the Archbishop of Canterbury as expressed in today’s papers.”

The Wolseley Motor Co. have posted up a notice that in the event of the armistice being signed to-morrow night, there will be a day’s holiday for the men on both the day and night shifts.

LORD MAYOR APPEALS FOR ORDERLY REJOICING.

Addressing the City Council to-day after his election as Lord Mayor, Sir David Brooks said:— “We are living in the midst of momentous events, which will have a lasting influence on the destiny of our own country as well as the rest of the world. An armistice with Germany may be signed within a few hours; it may not be signed for few weeks; and possibly may not be signed at all; but complete victory for the Allies, either by Germany’s surrender or overwhelming defeat in the field, is as certain as anything can be certain. (Applause.) When the final conclusion is reached, it will be natural that there should some outburst of popular feeling; but I believe that the prevailing feeling will be one of relief and thankfulness that the slaughter of human beings is finished, and I have been considering recently what steps should be taken to celebrate the end of the war. In an interview with the press I have endeavoured to indicate the way in which I think the citizens might show their rejoicings. I am sure that any demonstration will be of an orderly and becoming nature, worthy of the greatest hour in human history and that the citizens will abstain from anything like the unseemly conduct which characterised the close of the Boer war. I hope the council will approve of the action I have taken in the matter.’’ (Hear, hear.)