The Henson Journals

[29]

Saturday, March 26th, 1927.

I motored to Durham with my two chaplains, and there presided in the Chapter House over a meeting of the Diocesan Conference. The announcement that I would speak on Prayer Book Revision probably explained the unusually large attendance of members. My address, which took exactly half an hour in delivery, was listened to very closely, and at the end was considerably applauded. It seemed to please the Conference, which was not without significance, since it was a rather severe condemnation of the Protestant agitation against the Revised Book. I gave lunch in the Castle to Colonel Thomlinson, Canon Stack, Ridley Barker, Edgar Jackson, & Shaddick. After lunch Colonel Thomlinson introduced the Budget, which was carried with but little debate, so that the Conference ended by 3p.m. After some talk with the Bishop of Jarrow I returned to Auckland.

Ella and I motored to Norton, where we dined with Mr Kirk in order to meet Harold Macmillan, the local M.P., and his wife, Lady Dorothy. I had a good deal of talk with Macmillan, whom I found both interesting and intelligent. His account of the feeling of the House of Commons towards Prayer Book Revision was not very reassuring.

We got back to the Castle about 10.45p.m.

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