[Harry West, born 1880, wrote his memoir in the 1950s. The final sections, ‘Epilogue—the Living Past’ and ‘Addendum’ reflect West’s lifelong engagement with further education and wide reading of philosophy, religion, psychology and literature].

In the 1890s Bristol was called, not inaptly, “The City of Churches’. They were at that period many of various denominations, contiguous in the central areas of the city […] The latter often with ancillary institutions such as libraries, mutual aid and improvement societies, savings banks etc. […] [R]eligion and morality has declined sadly, and nothing replaces it. 

On Sundays a much larger proportion attended religious services, mornings and evenings. Sunday Schools were large and well attended. Bible Classes, likewise. Brass Bands and banners paraded the streets; Salvation Army, Bible Class and bands of Temperance Societies. Open air meetings on street corners were common. Religious fervour was prevalent.