Thousands of holidymakers poured down in mid-August [1914] to the beaches of Eastbourne ... the sands were thick with chairs. Those who went to the beach were not necessarily inactive. While there were over 5 million women in employment, more than twice as many, 12.9 million, did not work. Many of these women turned to knitting, with apparently unbounded zeal. They knitted scarves, gloves, waistcoats and socks, on the beach, on trains, on trams, in theatres and in parks. ... Soon after war was declared "Everyone started knitting for the war effort. We were staying on the shores of Loch Fyne and the women were knitting and they appealed to my [minister] father if it was right or wrong to knit socks on Sundays for the soldiers, and my father said it was quite right and they were all very pleased."