THE people of Southampton did their best to adhere to the maxim “business as usual” as the goings-on of the First World War continued to interrupt daily life.

But a similar philosophy of “pleasure as usual” was not so easy to embrace as the August Bank Holiday of 1915 presented a markedly different affair from the Bank Holiday’s of previous years.

Those with the means to escape the town, particularly those with access to a motor car, were able to journey to Bournemouth or the shady depths of the New Forest.

But as far as the average Sotonian was concerned, many found themselves confined to Southampton.

As not only was there the direct influence of t The First World War prevented against trips of the usual character as the usual railway excursions, normally well patronised, during these times were non-existent.

Owing to military exigencies the time-honoured fair could not be held on the Common.

But the West Marlands offered an admirable alternative site nearer home.

The town’s folk made the best of a little town of booths and side-shows that had sprung up like mushrooms in the night.

Dotted amongst the holiday makers was a little army of ladies who, under the direction of the Mayoress (Miss Bagshaw), had kindly undertaken the sale of miniature lifeboat flags throughout the town in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

It was a shrewd move on the part of the organisers to associate Lifeboat Flag Day with the Bank Holiday as the ladies did brisk business in the streets with the holidaymakers from the early morning.

Despite the attempts to make the best of what was on offer, the Daily Echo reports of the time claimed that the Bank Holiday was a typically disappointing washout.

The wet weather made all of the outdoor attractions a “dismal failure”, although the showers helped the cinemas and theatres in the town reap a rich harvest.

However the main talking point of the weekend centred around the mysterious happenings at one of Southampton’s parks.

People passing the upper part of Palmerstone Park in Southampton were somewhat amazed to see a very large hole in the park near the statue.

Had it not been for the very clean way in which it appeared to be cut, there might have been some excuse for thinking that Southampton had been the latest place to be attacked by German Zeppelins.

However nothing of such an exciting nature had occurred, though the incident was certainly curious.

The basin-shaped hole was discovered during the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday Weekend by a police constable who was passing the spot.

It had evidently been caused by a subsidence of earth and was of a circular shape, with a diameter of about 30ft, with a depth estimated at about 12ft.

The thought occurred to many that the railway tunnel which passes under the Parks had given way, but an examination proved that this was not the case.

Another suggestion, which was popular, was that the fall had something to do with the old canal, which was known to have been in the vicinity. The site of the old canal, however, was some distance to the east of the scene of the fall.

As these and many other conjectures as to what could have caused the hole continued to be bandied about between the town’s folk, the hole was roped off to prevent any unwanted mishaps and to give Corporation workmen a chance to investigate the strange occurrence.

However, a definitive explanation as to what had caused the cavity never materialised on the pages of the Echo in the days that followed. The theories of underground tunnels and old canals being responsible were simply dismissed, with the cause of the hole merely accepted as subsidence.