An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 161 On the 27th I lunched with Purdy at the "Royal,'" and met old Mr. W. P. Gill, then aged 86, and a wonder as to memory and conversation. Having had my too strong bow reduced to 33 lbs. I did better in practice, one dozen hits for 55 score on the 28th, but was most uncertain, and was worse than ever at the Sheringham Meeting. On the 3rd July I went to Captain Mack's at Paston to inspect the curious ruins he had found in his garden, which with the curious shield-boss or ornament also found there are illustrated by me in the Norfolk Anti– quarian Miscellany (n.s.) i., p. 102. Here I saw him literally charm birds off trees. At the Beeston Meeting on 6th July I did a little better, 23 for 95, and the bad-best I had done this year. On Thursday, the 9th) was a pleasant'' Woodpecker,~ Outing to Horning Ferry, Mrs. Mary E. (Fairman) Mann, the novelist, and Munnings being the chief guests. During a business journey to London in the middle of July I went over with F.G.R. to see R.H.'s house at Walton-on-Thames for the first time, and on the 20th went to the Olympic Sports with A.L.R., where our man Holden was beaten in the 800 metres, and again next day, when the race was won by an American, though an Italian who ran splendidly and who afterwards became a great crack, ran him very close. Taking down M.M.R.'s bow to The Close in error I shot better with it, doing TI r. On the 28th M. M.R. shot well at Thurning, and got into the second class, and I a little better (83). She and my grandson, Bobbie, went back to London the next day. In practice in The Close on the 1st August I got 24 for 128, and the next day at Lammas 35 out of 48 for 137, far and away the best this year, getting on 11 out of 12 for 43 in one dozen. At last, on the 3rd August, I did a fair performance at a public meeting, scoring 34 hits for 122 at both distances at Smallburgh, and at practice next day made 42 for one dozen. Just about thjs time I was shooting much better, in practice doing 134, 127, and rr8, and again in public at Beeston, when I scored 135 at both distances. At Kendal Dyke, whither I sailed with H. Brittain, I was told there was now a steady and regular 6 to 7 in. tide