The Henson Journals

[369]

Monday, February 21st, 1927.

I tried to write on Prayer Book Revision for the Edinburgh, but made no headway. The subject bores me unendurably!

There came to lunch the Revd R. Bidwell, Vicar of Gainford, who wore a grey suit and a white tie, and, as these phenomena suggested, expressed himself as hostile to the Anglo–Catholicks and favourable to the new Prayer Book: Archdeacon and Mrs Mangin from Alnwick, a hearty & rather Philistine couple who might have lived in Barsetshire & made a figure in its Chronicles: with them came also a dolourous female, the Archdeacon's sister–in–law, who might have been the original of Mrs Gummidge. There lunched also old Dr McCullagh, who brought back "Palmerston" and borrowed "Bolshevist Russia". I had to get away to Durham immediately after lunch in order to preside at a meeting of the Board of Finance. It was amicable, but hardly exhilarating, for the year's income shows a deficit of about £600. After the meeting I went to my rooms in the Castle, and had tea. Then I received a deputation from the Council of the Durham Colleges on the subject of the Castle Restoration. Pemberton, the Vice–Chancellor, [Howe?], Masson, the Dean, Guillaume, Robinson, and one other formed the deputation. After an hour's talk they agreed to seek further advice on the Castle with a view to issuing a great appeal in the autumn. I disapproved the notion of a private bill to transfer the Castle to the State, as undesirable in itself and little likely to secure the acceptance of Parliament. Then, I picked up Ella & Fearne, and returned to Auckland. The weather continues mild and almost close.

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