The Henson Journals

[229]

Thursday, November 4th, 1926.

I finished the Presidential Address, and wrote cheques for the Household accounts. Then, accompanied by Ella & Sir Henry Craik, I motored to the house near Brancepeth which is occupied by Colonel and Mrs Headlam, with whom we lunched very pleasantly. I promised to write to Lord Durham, & discuss how far he is well–disposed towards making an attempt to organize emigration in this county.

We returned to Auckland after lunch; and then I set out again for Hedworth near Boldon, where I confirmed 103 persons. My address was a pitiful failure. The people coughed relentlessly, and reduced me to total imbecillity! I noticed particularly how well–fed was the aspect of the candidates in spite of the fact that the whole district has been given up to unemployment for 16 months, a local strike having long ante–dated the present "stoppage". We returned to the Castle after the sermon, driving through heavy rain all the way.

Canon Maynard Smith sent me his Life of Frank Zanzibar. The allusions to me are the reverse of complimentary.

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