Christmas boxes for the workers

Lorna was 17 in 1931, when the UK economy was mired in deep recession with high unemployment and growing social unrest, and failure of German and Austrian banks threatened to harm the UK’s financial system.

At this time Lorna’s father Albert was an iron and steel merchant in Sheffield. This company memo from December 1931 shows that Albert authorised the distribution of Christmas boxes to some of his workers in recognition of their efforts to combat the depression. His comment on ‘fresh determination to see the world crisis through and to rise above our difficulties’ the following year chimes loud today.