An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 99 Next week I bad a business journey to Maldon in Essex, where I found the "Blue Boar" comfortable, on by train toWoodham Ferris,Southminster, and took a dog-cart on to Tillingham. Rode on to Roehampton to see the Flack match, on to Kingston (tea), and in the dark to the "White Lion," Cobham, spending a festive evening among some rather amusing village farmers (11th December). A bitterly cold and wet ride home (some 24 miles) in about three hours, but found that my selfish offspring had used all the hot water, so I had no satisfactory bath ! Soon after (the 17th) I went to Tasburgh and helped to dig up the "Chapel Field," where we found many bones and pottery. The next day I drove across to Wymondham where a gig from Dereham picked me up, and came up with C. G. Wood to London by Sunday afternoon train. In a very dense fog on the Christmas Day rode the tandem trike with F.G.R. (having first upset myself) by Hyde Park, very slow, tyre burst, and we had to leave it for repair and walk over to lunch at Bennett's, Mortlake. Gray having kindly set my tricycle right on the 26th after three hours' work, I rode over to Hale for lunch. Ou the 27th I had a most tiring ride with the boys to Barnet "Red Lion.'' Just about this time the "stately Maria" was very amusing. During this year (1897) my only publication was the "Songs, Stories, and Sayings of Norfolk." On January 1st, I 898, rode by myself, but my chain broke at Wright Ingle's corner, and I had to walk home. On a silly Cockney rough satirical at my not riding up a slight slope, I offered to bet him a sovereign he couldn't. When he tried he naturally found the treadles rotated rapidly and ejaculated, "Why, there ain't no chain," upon which I politely informed him that I had previously discovered that fact many miles before! On the 15th, rode over to Hemel Hempstead to see my sisters, going to the right of the river; slept at the ''Bell" and back next day. 22nd, rode over to Carshalton (lunch), Sutton, up Wimbledon Hill to Roehampton, adjourned general meeting as to A.A.A., slept out at a saddler's. The next day my treadle went wrong. so rode back slowly to Hampstead.