For many years, William R. Deakin hosted annual picnics as a thank you to his employees for their hard work:
Wednesday 20 September 1893 – Deakin’s Annual Picnic at Southport, Lancashire
Wednesday 5 September 1894 – Deakin’s Annual Picnic at Southport, Lancashire
Saturday 7 September 1895 – Deakin’s Annual Picnic at Whittle Springs, Lancashire
September 1897 – Deakin’s Annual Picnic at Lifford, Lancashire. At the staff picnic in September 1897, William R. Deakin spoke of the rapid increase in the number of Deakin’s employees but announced that “it was not his desire to make money so much but to leave people better than when he found them”. In reducing the working day William hoped it would leave his staff “more time for recreation and intellectual cultivation.”
Saturday 24 August 1901 – Deakin’s Annual Picnic at Rufford, Lancashire
Saturday 22 August 1903 – Deakin’s Annual Picnic at Rufford, Lancashire