The Henson Journals

[39]

Thursday, August 25th, 1927. The Priory, Woodchester.

We left Lytchett Heath at 10.30 a.m., and motored to the Priory, Woodchester; a distance of about 110 miles. We stopped at Salisbury to visit the Cathedral, and lunched very comfortably at Malborough. At Cirencester we visited the fine church, of which K. C. Bayley's brother–in–law is the Rector. Here I was recognized by the Verger, whose acuteness was rewarded by a tip of two shillings! We arrived at our destination about tea–time. There was present Sir Ware, who is in charge of the Military Graves. He said that he has heard about me from his friend Mrs Anstruther.

Our visit to Evelyn Cecil was certainly very pleasant to us, and I think also to our host & his wife. She is an able & attractive woman, the daughter of Lord Amherst of Hackney. The two daughters, Margaret and Maud, are pleasant & spritely young ladies, less shamelessly modernized than most of their contemporaries. Maud is to be married in the autumn to some connexion of Steel–Maitland.

[40]

Mine host has become treasurer of the Conservative Association in his district, and has acquainted himself, or thinks he has, with the political conditions thereof. He thinks that there is a real revival of Liberalism, but that it will not carry many seats. But the tide is running strongly in the direction of Labour, and the probabilities point to a Conservative débacle at the next election. He told me that the peers & M.P.s were being heavily canvassed by the opponents of the Revised Prayer Book. He doubted, however, whether the effect of this canvassing would be considerable. The Roman villa has again been covered up, & will not be opened again to the public view for some years. The total gains from its exhibition had been £680: of which £500 had been invested for the due up–keep of the church–yard. Thus the ancient pagans are forced to pay tribute to their Christian conquerors!