An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

208 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 'Buxton Meetingwas called for the 16th, by Mr. Sewell,aud I attended to read the resolution and busied myself about the matter for some time, but, though ranges were made, no great progress was ever made. In an adjoining village the local Commandant was for training his men to shoot with shot-guns behind hedges, a quaint idea. On the 15th of November, H.J. Chinnery, the younger of the brothers Chinnery, of the Stock Exchange died. He was only a fair class runner, but after assiduous practice won the Heavy Weight Boxing Championship. He only just survived G. H. Vize, who was a better natural runner and boxer. By this time I began to think of buying a motor tri-car, having some idea I might be useful as a local -dispatch rider, but though I offered it and subsequently my after-bought motor to the authorities they did not take either of them, and did so by the 2nd of December, Sexton having learned to drive it in four lessons (!). I had my first ride on the 6th of December, and my first ride to Norwich on the 9th, stopping at the "Artichoke." The gift of my piano to a Concentration Camp was, however, graciously accepted, and I did what I could to promote the comfort of the men billeted locally. Later on, .after I bad moved into Norwich, my offer to keep a card -catalogue of all hospital patients, arranged daily, was -declined by the military authorities, who preferred their own methods. This hurt my feelings, as in<l.exing was -ever my hobby, and I am sure the scheme would have been useful. It was very hard for a septuagenarian not to be .able to do some little thing for his country-however small. I was one of the first to point out in the local Press the fact that there was a scandalous disposition on the part of farmers and their sons to avoid joining the Forces, and preventing their men doing so. My letters seem to have stung them, for I was much abused by them for such letters. both in the press and anonymously. How true my allege– ments that the farmers were letting their patriotism be subservient to their profits have been proved by subsequent events, I will leave to the public. On the 20th we took the machine to Horning Ferry with Purdy as a sitter, but our combined weights (43 st., 7 lbs.) were too much for the little machine, which stopped on the back journey twice. Luckily Dr. Crosse and his