Every parcel sent overseas by Knottingley Services Welfare Association to local men serving in the forces will include a copy of the Pontefract and Castleford Express. Many women have offered to bake cakes for the first batch and wool has been bought for knitting. Miss L. Hunter is organising the knitting at Norfolk House.

SHELTERS FOR CHILDREN

Knottingley school children are still on holiday awaiting the provision of air raid shelters at local schools. Work on them began during the week at the Chapel Street, Vale and Church school.

Knottingley schoolchildren returned to school on Monday after a 'holiday' which began at the outbreak of war in September. At a number of schools the attendances were above average and air raid shelters are now in the course of construction.

A PLEASANT ALTERNATIVE

As wartime conditions made it impossible to stage the usual Xmas party and dance, some 250 girl employees of Bagley and Co and the Crystal Glass Co Knottingley, received half a crown and a box of chocolates each as Xmas boxes from the Directors. Needless to say the gifts were much appreciated.

SIGNING UP REGISTRATION

Registration for military service on Saturday by men aged 23 at the end of last year, and those who had reached the age of twenty since the last calling up, made quiet progress at the Knottingley Employment Exchange. About 90 men were dealt with and no one asked to be signed as a conscientious objector.

SPITFIRE FUND

A very successful whist drive was organised by Mesdame's R. and P. Jackson, in the Old Parsonage, Knottingley yesterday week for the local Spitfire fund. The prizes were won by Mesdame's Andrew, Drinkwater, Porter, and Rodley, and a competition for onions was won by Mrs J. Hollingworth. The effort raised £5.

The ministry of Health stated yesterday that the evacuation of schoolchildren and other priority classes will start today (Friday) Evacuation, it is added, is purely a precautionary measure. The decision does not mean that the war is regarded as inevitable. It will take several days to complete evacuation as the decision applies to all towns under the Government scheme. The Government plans provide for evacuation of over 3,000,000 persons from the congested areas. About 1,300,000 are on the London dispersal list alone for evacuation over the counties between Lands End and The Wash. Train services on the main line railways will be modified during the evacuation of the children.

The following official notice was issued from 10 Downing Street, yesterday afternoon. In continuation of measures already adopted it has decided to complete naval mobilisation and to call up the remainder of the Regular Army Reserve and the Supplementary Reserve. A further number of Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve will also be called up. Officers and men should await further instructions which will be made public immediately by each of the three Service Departments.

NO REPLY FROM GERMANY

Up to last evening no reply had been received in London from the German Government from the last communication from the British Government which was handed to the German Foreign Minister by Sir Neville Henderson on Wednesday night. A reply is definitely expected. ''Unchanged is still very serious'' was the verdict on the international situation given the competent German sources in Berlin yesterday.

SHELTERS FOR KNOTTINGLEY

To complete the civil defence organisation, volunteers in the Womens Section are urgently required. Decontamination squads were also slightly under strength at the beginning of the week but volunteers are being dealt with. The air raid warning signal on Monday was taken calmly but complaints were subsequently from the Hill Top and Cross Road district that neither the warning signal nor the all-clear signal were sufficiently audible. The matter has been taken up by those responsible.

On Tuesday work was proceeding rapidly on three permanent shelters of brick, reinforced with concrete, at PInders Garth, Ferrybridge, (with accommodation for 100), Chapel Street (150), and Low Green, Knottingley (100). Excavations were begun in an underground tunnel with a 20ft covering of limestone between Forgehill and Springfield, which will accommodate 200 people. It is hoped to provide shelters for 900 people throughout the urban district in a very short time. The decontamination station at Toulson's Garage, Low Green, was in process of re-construction on Tuesday, immediately after equipment had been received from the county authorities. The 'Black Outs' at night are reported as satisfactory.

Evensong at Christ Church and St. Botolph's Church will be held in the afternoon until further notice, chiefly to avoid public gatherings after dusk. Other churches in the town are also to consider the advisability of the change. Schools in the Knottingley Education Sub-Committee were open during the week on instructions received from the County Authority to provide free milk and meals to the children entitled to them when the school is in normal session. Surplus milk was sold to the schoolchildren in Knottingley at the ordinary rate of 1/2d per bottle.