The Henson Journals

[46]

Wednesday, November 24th, 1920.

After breakfast we motored to Durham, where we presided over a meeting of the Rescue and Preventive Association. After lunching with the Bishop of Jarrow, I went to the Cathedral & received the "Women' Offering" (£681) for the association. I preached to a congregation of about 500 women from S. John VIII. II. Then followed tea with Mrs Cruickshank. Here I was introduced to the "workers", an estimable but rather unattractive company. Then we motored back to Auckland in time for an early dinner. Afterwards we went to the parochial festival of S. Andrew's, where I made a long & rambling speech to an assembly of some hundreds of Church folk in the Town Hall. I came away directly my speech was finished, & went through the letters with Maish. Then I went to bed rather excessively tired.

I was not very cheerfully impressed by the parochial anniversary. There may have been (on a favourable estimate) 400 present in the Town Hall. These represented a population of more than 16,000. Make all allowances for the absentees, who, for one reason or another, stand aloof from this function of set purpose, or could not attend, and still the inadequacy of the numbers is startling. Bishop Auckland has the reputation of being a specially well–worked parish: it has had the advantage of a succession of vicars, who were men of more than ordinary ability & devotion. There are 3 curates, & yet this petty result is all that can be shown.

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