The Henson Journals

[45]

Monday, May 18th, 1925.

We left York at 10 minutes before 10a.m. There was rain with rumblings of thunder to start with, but very soon the weather cleared, and we travelled in an open car under the sunshine. We reached Carlton at 12.30 noon and stayed to lunch with Mrs Lawrie. Her youngest son, Sydney, now nearly 15, is to be confirmed tomorrow. We left at 2.30p.m. and motored as far as Ashby–de–la–Gouche. Scarcely had we reached the Hotel, where we proposed to have tea before a terrific thunderstorm broke. The lightening was incessant, and "the artillery of heaven" appalling. After more than an hour, the storm abating, we essayed to go on, but the deluge of rain had flooded the roads. Of four exits from the town, three were impassible for cars, and we were returning to the hotel with the purpose to pass the night there, when a young man came to say that the forth exit, though flooded, was passable. So we resumed our journey &, by a détour, got to Tamworth, having again to pass through a perilously flooded road, and so finally, by way of Lichfield, Dudley, & Kidderminster are arrived at Hartlebury Castle at 8.30p.m. where we were warmly welcomed by the bishop & his sister. Throughout all this part of England the excessive rains have greatly delayed agriculture. York to Hartlebury. 180 miles.