An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY r:~s donor Mrs. Radford Pym, daughter of the late Mr. Fitch,. tbe Hon. Secretary of the Norfolk aud Norwich Archaeo– logical Society mentioned before. It was a beautiful bit of woodland full of" blue bells," fox-gloves, and primroses, but was promptly turned into a Corporation ·' Park," with the orthodox paths and seats, and most of the wild plants• were at once eradicated by the city rough children-the worst and most mischievous set of little beasts I have ever come across. The London rough boys are cultivated gentlemen compared with them. On the 21st June I spoke at a Conservative meeting for the first time on politics. June ended with a meeting of about 40 of the Science Gossip Club at Oxnead, who rowed down to tea at Lammas and amused themselves there at various games, the expres– sion now so often quoted of "I can't 'it the little beggar ,r originated from an incident there. Our new-old staircase was being inserted. On the 12th July Mr. J. Reeve, the Curator of the Museum, gave us all a very excellent "reception" at the Castle. On the 14th was Mr. F. W. Harmer's Garden Party at Cringleford, which allowed many to witness his very beautiful river-garden, with the wealth of acclimatized water-plants, and the next day, said to be the hottest for four years. was very appropriately filled up by au excellent water party to Horning. At the end of July I was in London for the usual penal walk round the Royal Academy, and drove with my son A.L.R. and his wife to the Hale, while in my son's rooms at Hampstead saw the most torrential rain I ever witnessed. It brought down on the top of its downhill running seYeral cartloads of vYood-paving blocks and deposited them in the first level place it came to. The same tropical weather no doubt caused the great heath– fire at Skeyton on the North Walsh-am Road on the 13th and 14th August. About this time I made the acquaintance of the Rev. Munford, of Swanton (son of my old antiquarian acquaint– ance of Domesday Book fame), who was and is one of the best mechanics I know (he had built a practicable motor– car 30 year::; before), and whose recent personal restoration of the screen at Skeyton Church is a very fine piece of faithful work.