Yesterday’s post regarding the call to arms of Mancunians during the First World War was taken from a book I’ve just finished reading: Fifty Years of Us - A Jubilee Retrospect of Men & Newspapers by the Manchester Press Club.

Manchester Press Club is arguably the oldest such club in existence and this book was published by C.W.S. Printing Works of Longsight & Reddish in 1922 to celebrate its first 50 years.

The book’s 82 pages give a brilliant insight into the beginnings of media in Manchester, and Manchester’s history generally.

I’ll publish more extracts over the next few days, starting with this about the long-extinct Manchester Examiner:

“The oldest member of the “Examiner” reporting staff when [chief reporter William] Lister took charge was John Cruess, who a year or two later accepted an editorial appointment in Cumberland and afterwards in “Bonnie Colne-upon-the-hill,” where he has long been at rest.

“He usually carried a German text-book in one pocket of his tailcoat and his pipe, tobacco and matches in another. This latter practice was his undoing on one occasion when, in the Manchester Assize Courts, his match box ignited.

“Mr Justice Denman was the first to see a small column of smoke ascending from the rear of the unconscious Mr Cruess, and sternly directed him to take off his coat and carry it out of court.

“The usher took out the smoldering garment, followed by the reporter in his shirt sleeves.

“By a curious coincidence a similar mishap occurred to a juryman the next day.”