Help Please! Transcription Problem Concerning Zeppelins

[Guest Paddy_SP]

This is my first post on here, so please be gentle!

I've been transcribing my grandfather's WW1 'diaries' (written while he was convalescing from being gassed at Passchendaele). His handwriting is very difficult to interpret at the best of times, but one bit really has me stumped. It goes:

'Steve has come back from leave and tells me that Manchester is lighted at night quite like the good old days (before ?? was obsessed by the fear of Zepps)'

'Steve' was Captain DB Stephenson, who was tragically killed later on, having been an inspiration to everyone around him for his magnificent leadership and ever-present cheerfulness. The bit I've written as '??' says, as far as I can tell, 'Mr Something', with the 'Something' being an unintelligible initial. In other words, if we were talking about Mr Churchill, it would have been 'Mr C'. I assume that the person concerned was the Home Secretary, or some other such luminary.

It has also been suggested to me that I could be completely wrong, and that the mystery text was simply an abbreviation for 'Manchester'.

Anyway - there's a view of the bit in question here: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...ps5804a1e0.jpg I've underlined the mystery text.

If anyone is able to help me identify what it says, it'd be much appreciated!

[redbarchetta]

My vote would be for an abbreviation of Manchester - M/r

James

[Martin Bennitt]

My vote would be for an abbreviation of Manchester - M/r

James

I'd go along with that.

Cheers Martin B

[Guest Paddy_SP]

Thanks, Chaps - unless someone comes along with a better explanation, I'll go with that!