An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY the collection of local books ridiculously small, and tlien rode over to South Wootton Hall, where I found the garden greatly improved, and a new and nice baby, and a still nicer bull dog appropriately named "Budget." In absolutely pouring rain I rode on the next day through a very high north wind (the wind had changed since the day before) to Snettisham, where I had an excel– lent lunch at the "Compasses,'' an old-fashioned and com– fortable inn. Turning east the wind was so high by Sedgeford and Docking (the latter place belied its name extremely, for it was emphatically not "Dry Docking" at all), and blew straight across the road, that while my legs. were comparatively dry the upper part of my body was absolutely wet through. That night I slept at Stanhoe Hall, where I was hospitably received by Mr. N. Jodrell and bis wife, after having to pick my way among trees– blown down across the road. It was the highest and most blusterous wiud I had ever been out in, and during dinner an enormous elm came swishing down close to the window. T never was much in favour of motors in bad weather, and when I was taken uut in a little open De Dion car at a racing pace through a very high gale and bitterly cold wind to Holme to see Mr. Thomas Nelson (the real head of the Nelson family) I did not appreciate the visit half as much as I have done since in milder weather. However, the run of a fine library that night assuaged me greatly. It would have been ridiculous to have persevered on the coast ride under such circumstances, so I made my way home by tedious railing by Burnham, Wells, Faken– ham, to Norwich, and abandoned the journey. All the year I was very busy with my Norfolk Families, getting my rough drafts typed. The wet and wind kept on nearly all the winter. I, more or less, cured myself of my stomach trouble first by taking Burgundy and then by almost total abstinence. After lunch on the 23rd November I rode over to South Walsham-the Church with the two towers-and lent the parson there a book on heraldry, and with him called on Major Jary, a fine specimen of the old-fashioned squire, an old officer who bad seen much service in the East, and though then 8 I was as active as a kitten. He did not die till 1915. He was the only one of the Norfolk" broadowners ,,. whose title I should not have cared to fight, for I found 0