Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, December 27th, 1917.

Christmas railway traffic was this year very heavy, due to the exodus of workpeople who have come to Luton works during the past year or two. Saturday was exceptionally busy day, and Mr Grice and his staff at the Midland Station and Mr Few and his staff at the Great Northern Railway had quite a rush of bookings.

Operatives went home to all parts of the Kingdom, and on Saturday the following were among the Midland destinations - Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford (60 passengers), Leicester (29), Northampton (83), St Albans (140), Harpenden (132) and London (930). Equally large number were recorded on the Great Northern line.

There have been large numbers of visitors in the town, especially from London, and doubtless the moonlight nights have something to do with this fact [air raid fears].

In view of Government instructions, few soldiers travelled at the weekend, but on Christmas morning many left on short leave.

• "The usual good time - only better," was the verdict on Christmas for patients in the Bute Hospital, despite severe restrictions. In response to the Matron's appeal many friends sent useful gifts, and Lady Wernher's consignment of evergreens was quickly transformed into a delightful decorative scheme. The women's ward looked exceedingly pretty when the fairy lamps on the Christmas tree were lighted. The fare this year was of an appetising Yuletide character, with turkeys well in preponderance. It is pleasing to record that the children in teh hospital were made happy with quite a variety of toys.

• Realising that this is the fourth year of war, and the fact that money and gifts are not showered with the same spontaneity as in pre-war days, all interested in Wardown V.A.D. Hospital were nevertheless determined to give the 54 patients "a jolly good Christmas". Friends in Luton were very generous in sending gifts of money and kind, and the wards were beautifully decorated with festoons of coloured paper and evergreens. In one ward were laurel wreaths, each for a different battle, names of villages rendered sacred by the glory of some regiment's sacrifice - Ypres, Somme, Loos, Mons and others. After breakfast on Christmas Day, Father Christmas distributed a treasure bag to each patient.

• As sombre an institution as one need wish to see in normal times, Union House, the headquarters of Poor Law administration in the Luton district, presented a very different appearance on Christmas Day with buntings, garlands and Chinese lanterns, the decorative work of the Master and Matron, Mr and Mrs Richmond. There were 224 in residence, and they rose to a breakfast of bread and butter and tea. A roast beef and vegetables dinner was served at noon, as bountiful as the Government would allow. Tobacco was ten given to the men and tea and sugar to the ladies ahead of an afternoon of games such as cards, dominoes and draughts and entertainment provided by the visiting Biscoteers.

• The little ones at Beech Hill Children's Homes had a right merry time on Tuesday. The interior of the Homes presented a seasonable aspect, being decorated with well-berried holly and other evergreens. Unprecedented fare appeared on the breakfast table in the form of sausages - due, of course, to the shortage of bacon - was heartily relished by the children. Christmas cards and stockings, coins, fruit, sweets, games etc were distributed during the morning, and the little ones found ample amusement until dinner time, which brought a savoury spread of beef, potatoes, parsnips and cauliflowers, followed by plum pudding. Later, Mr W. H. Tydeman provided a magic lantern entertainment.

• At the Children's Home, London Road, a small company of bed cases were allowed to get up for Christmas Day to see what Santa Claus had brought them in the pillow cases they had hung up. It was delightful to witness their merriment as they extracted toys, apples and Christmas stockings from the depth of the pillow case. A dinner of turkey and sausages, plum pudding and fruit was enjoyed by the little folk, before games in the afternoon.

• The festival was necessarily observed in a quiet manner at Spittlesea Isolation Hospital, there being only eight patients, including two adults, in the beds. Unfortunately none of these was able to get up, but a little cheer was afforded them by the decoration of the wards etc. Chicken took the place of the customary turkey at dinner time and, although no elaborate celebrations could be arranged, the patients had a pleasant Christmas.

• Through the kindness of the Mayor's Fund, the Luton Guild of Help provided a few families with extra food for the holiday. Assistance was rendered the elderly and sick, and old age pensioners and those depending upon the sick pay of the National Insurance Scheme all benefits by the aid of this beneficent organisation.

• At Stockwood, the Army Veterinary Corps had a merry time, thanks to the cordial manner in which Capt Gryspeedt entered into the spirit of the season. The usual Christmas fare was provided with many additional luxuries. In the evening the soldiers were entertained by Mr Russell Dellar and party.

• Surmounting obstacles and overcoming difficulties, the Luton postal staff have once again got through the rush which Christmas always brings. It was distinctly noticeable that the Christmas card postages were considerably heavier than last year, and the number of parcels passing through the hands of the staff was also greater. Pending the erection of a new Post Office after the war, some degree of congestion at the counter was unavoidable, but work was dealt with in a business-like way. This year the Post Office authorities were hampered very greatly by the fact that no temporary hands could be obtained.

• Lady Ampthill has just issued the report of "Our Day" efforts on behalf of the British Red Cross Society in Bedfordshire, and it is noteworthy that more than half the total realised was subscribed by Luton alone. The full sum realised was £7,128 8s 3d, of which Luton's individual total was £3,647 14s 6d.

• About six o'clock last evening Sgt Peters, of the beds Regiment stationed at Ampthill, was cycling back to camp when his machine caught the tram line in London Road and threw the soldier off. He sustained injury to the chest.

• Following a report received by Mr Alfred Smith, of Marson Place, Stopsley, that his son Reginald, of the Middlesex Regiment, was killed, comes a notification to say he is safe.

• We regret to state that the illness to Detective Insp Attwood has been so serious as to necessitate his being treated in the Bute Hospital. His illness began with an accident some months ago, when he slipped and hurt his leg. On return to duty he caught a chill which resulted in a severe complaint.

• There was a somewhat alarming occurrence in a crowded George Street on Monday afternoon. About 3.30 a horse and trap in which three officers of Dunstable Signal Depot were riding down Upper George Street. As the horse reached the Town Hall it shied and made for the motor garage beside the Franklin Hotel before turning in the opposite direction in front of a stationary tramcar and rushed across towards the Bank at the bottom of King Street. The shafts were broken, and the horse saw seized and led away. No one was hurt except a man who grazed his finger.

• Two soldiers who took the law into their own hands to get home for Christmas were before magistrates in Luton on Wednesday. L-Cpl Arthur Odell, aged 31, of 8 Spring Place, admitted being an absentee from the Eastern Command Labour Corps and was remanded for an escort. And L-Cpl Thomas Spacey, aged 19, appeared in the uniform of a wounded man waking with the aid of a stick. He had been in the V.A.D. hospital at Rochester, Kent, and said he was anxious to spend a few hours with his parents in Alfred Street, having been refused leave by the hospital. He was to await an escort or went to Wardown Hospital in the meantime if there was a difficulty. The following day Spacey made application at a special court to be allowed home until an escort arrived, as his mother was very ill. The application was granted on condition he reported to the police station at 10.30 on Saturday morning.