An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 157 The 'weather becoming warmer I sent my wife, her attendant, and Kitty to Lammas for a fortnight. I began to cycle again a little, but not much. The Seaming Grange shoot on 30th July was spoiled by rain, but the party in t_he tent was very amusing. This summer I tried to get fresh air by going a trip in the "Doris." Arthur and his wife came down for the August Bank Holiday. At the Smallburgh meeting he shot very well beating me, and almost tying Inderwick and doing 120, and making most hits of the day. On the 7th August, Rudd and his wife, Kitty and E. Smith drove over from Wroxham to the Potter Heigham Pageant, which was very good in parts, but the ground had been shamefully broken into by the non-paying yachting division. I saw a splendid display of shooting stars at Foulsham on 12th August. I was no good at shooting at Wood Norton on the 13th, but on the 16th shot quite respectably at Inderwick's bye meeting at Ashmanhaugh scoring 122 (one dozen 40) which was my best in public, but was very bad again at Small– burgh, though at our Lammas meeting the next day I did 92. On the rrth September, I met Miss Gray, the lady who is so interested in Dean Colet, at lunch at Carrow, and afterwards showed the road to Ashwellthorpe and Scole Inn in a very :fine fast motor car, the best I had ever sat in up- to-date. . Getting better in health I had one or two good rides, one of about 22 miles to N orgates taking two hours on .a day I can't remember, and another about 27½ by Horning Ferry, Ludham :Bridge, Cat-field, Wayford Bridge, &c. In the former I lost my way across the :fields, and was attacked by a ferocious farm dog, when I frightened him off by hiss– ing with . my tyre pump, which be obviously thought was a snake, the only advantage I ever obtained from applying natural. history. The 27th September was my best practice day up-to– date at archery, for I made 52 + 100 I 52. I was right on that day, for in 6 consecutive shots I made 9, 7, 5, 9, 9, 3, or 42, for 6 arrows and next day did fairly well again. On the 19th October I had the great pleasure of taking T. Southwell, our great local naturalist, and one of the cleverest and best of companions, to Selborne with R. J. M