There are such a lot of wounded soldiers in town. It makes quite a lump come in to my throat to see them - one chap without a foot - another with only one leg and others limping and arms in splints. It brings home to one - my word! And I suppose we don't get the worst cases. Then there are quite a lot of widows about - some are quite young. One girl I saw in widow's weeds was certainly not more than 20. Harvey's of Sefton Park have had their two sons killed and someone else has lost all three sons. Do you remember that Charley Hivey we met at some dance? We laughed at him a lot. He is in the Pals now and is quite altered I am told. Harry Ladyman has had to go back to the Front. His Colonel and Major tried to get him released for Home Service because his mother has been so ill and as she is a widow there is no one to carry on the business. However the war office won't release any men. They are all wanted and now recruits are not coming in quick enough because we have now got to the men who have dependents and who would have to sacrifice them to their country. The pay they get won't pay their rent and rates and so what are they to do? The Government won't pay the rent for them. The working classes are no worse off; it is with the middle classes the difficulty lies…

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