An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

28 AUTOBIOGRAPHY In July I went to Holkham to see my brother Charles, who was recuperating at the Victoria Hotel there, and in August to Pulham for the first time and to Rainthorpe, and during July trained at running and got to do 4.50 for a mile, and ro.54 for two miles, but I was always hopelessly bad at long distance running, my legs being too heavy for my body. At the National Olympian Association Meeting at the Crystal Palace on 1st August, 1866, however, I won both the half and mile races, under the colours of the King's College Rowing Club (which Howlett and I had joined), beating A. King of the L.A.C. (who rather fancied himself at a half), W. G. Grace the cricketer, Balls of Norwich, and others, but the times over grass were slow. In August and September, 1866, I took my holiday in Norfolk, staying some time at the Belle Vue, Cromer, looking up Cubitt at Fritton, a very amusing parson. 1 I afterwards discovered he was a distant cousin of mine, and became acquainted with the Revd. H. T. Griffith then at Bassingham. In November I reverted to walking and won a L.A.C. mile handicap from scratch in 7.37. During- the year I published my first work : " What are the legal and advisable ornaments of the Church of England.'' (Rivington) It was the result of considerable research at the Public Record Office among the Church Goods Certificates, temp. Edward VI. there, and was reviewed very favourably. My Christmas holiday I spent at Norwich with Howlett putting up at the "Oxford," in the rooms now occupied by the Town Clerk of Norwich, rooms which call up early memories of Taylor, the geologist, and several others of the local young "bloods'' of the period. In 1867 Howlett and I took our Easter at Norwich, and I again saw the very nice girl at Pulham. All the 1 Two of bis stories I well remember. One was how a friend of his wife's bad overstayed her welcome, and how she had, unwarily, mentioned how very convenient it was for visitors to have two railway stations so near his house. He retorted, "Yes, madam, it is perfectly marvellous how convenient they find them when they waut to go away," and how she went the uext day. The other was when some dignitary of the Church, asking him how he was getting on in his new berth, and his retort, " As well as– a _N orfolk man suffocated can expect." (Suffolk-hated!).