The Henson Journals

[207]

Thursday, October 9th, 1919.

I spent the morning in preparing notes for a speech in the afternoon, when I was pledged to distribute prizes at the Secondary School in Leominster. Also I wrote a letter to be printed & sent to the members of the Diocesan Conference announcing the postponement of the meeting on the 29th. After lunch Ella & I motored to Leominster, & I gave away the prizes in the Corn Exchange. The audience consisted of the managers, the children, & a fringe of parents. My speech was altogether too elaborate for the occasion! Alderman Russell presided. He is said to carry much weight on the County Council. On the whole he impressed me well. The Headmaster, Drennan, is a fresh–looking, well–built man, eager and successful in his work. He would have on the whole a bracing influence on the children though I thought some of his notions on education were crude enough. After tea at the school we motored to Credenhill where I preached in the little 14th century church. It was the inevitable Harvest Festival. The Vicar, Claude Lighton, is a frank, cheery fellow who makes a good country parson. His married daughter & her husband, Muir–Mackenzie, a nephew of my friend, were staying at the Vicarage. The young lady has acquired the bad manners of the fast set, & kept on smoking cigarettes unceasingly. After supper at the Vicarage we motored back to the Palace through the loveliest moonlight imaginable.

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