Biographie de thomas cook

Thomas Cook was the

Thomas Cook circa Thus wrote an exuberant Thomas Cook after his first organised day out for working class people of the Temperance Movement on 5th July A society devoted to encouraging others to give up alcohol and to try education instead, the Temperance members organised meetings, readings and family picnics as an alternative to hours spent in a pub.

A member of the movement himself, Thomas decided to try something bigger to spread the word. A fervent Baptist, Thomas believed in people helping themselves but recognised they could only do this if they were given the education and opportunity. At the same time, he surmised that travel educated a person by broadening their mind and firing the imagination, relaxing people and giving them hope.

So he hoped to practise his ideas by arranging for working class people to travel by train from Leicester to Loughborough to visit the Temperance quarterly meeting. For most of his passengers, this was their first time on a train. Despite travelling Third Class in open air carriages, the whole trip was imbued with a holiday atmosphere, with villagers waving flags at the side of the tracks and Loughborough station decorated with banners, flags and props.

Mr Paget, a local dignitary, opened up his property Southfields for the day-trippers to use. White tablecloths were laid out under the shelter of trees and a typical English picnic of bread and ham and later crumpets and cake was consumed. Family games were arranged, and a cricket match enjoyed before minister after minister made rousing speeches accompanied by the band.

It was the biggest teetotal party they had ever seen. Thomas always wanted to help the poorer people in society as he had encountered his fair share of hardship. His father and stepfather both died when he was young and year-old Thomas was apprenticed to a carpenter, working long hours and spending his free time in church.