The staff at Woodbank, which was by then owned by the Co-operative Holidays Association, trying out a canvas escape shute in what must have been a fire drill before World War One. The shute looks similar to those used on today's aeroplanes. It is difficult to see how the top was supported as there is no visible external mounting and the top looks as if it is on a hoop, but it would have had to be well anchored underneath the window inside the building. The bottom had to be held by two people to ensure a reasonable landing.

The second photograph shows the guests clustered on the terrace, looking amused by the spectacle. In the background are the slopes of Willersley's lawns and the River Derwent.