The Henson Journals

[33]

Thursday, November 10th, 1921.

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At 9.45 a.m. I left the Castle, taking with me in the car Fearne Booker & Barbara Lilley, whom we dropped at Durham where they were bent on visiting the buildings, Mr Carey Bonner, whom we left at the Newcastle station, Clayton, and James, who was visiting his home. Clayton and I went to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, (of which as successor to the Founder, Bishop Butler, I am "Grand Visitor") and there I dedicated a memorial tablet on which were inscribed the names of 20 members of the staff, who had fallen in the War. Lord Armstrong read the Lesson, Dr Drummond read the names & unveiled the monument. I dedicated it, & preached a short sermon. The Lord Mayor of Newcastle was present, & seemed much affected by what I said. He begged me to give him my notes. Photographers "snapped" me several times over! From the Infirmary we went to the Gateshead Rectory, & lunched with Stephenson. After lunch Clayton and I went through the morning's letters. Then we walked to Christ Church, where I took part in a parish reception: at which there was a rally of old incumbents & curates to mark the "jubilee" of the Church. I made a short speech. An old man in moving a vote of thanks to me reviewed the careers & characters of the Bishops of Durham from Villiers to myself! He described me a "the Lloyd George of the Church", & announced my impending translation to Canterbury! This is a perilous kind of fooling. After "high tea" in Christ Church Vicarage, we attended Evensong in the church. There was a considerable congregation but by no means a crowded church. I preached an old sermon on "the parish church", originally composed for a dedication Festival in East Ham. The service ended, we motored back to the Castle, arriving a few minutes before 10 p.m. I was surprized and in a measure distressed to observe so few men in the congregation at Christ Church. Davison is a really able & well–read man: he has the reputation of being an unusually good preacher: & he appears to be deservedly popular in his parish. Yet he has no more power to draw the young men to church than the veriest nincompoops of ritualism!

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