The Henson Journals
Thu 30 April 1931
Volume 52, Pages 178 to 179
[178]
Thursday April 30th, 1931.
A brilliant day. I turned my back on duty, & embraced pleasure in the form of an expedition to Ripon and Fountains with Dick. We left the Castle at 10:30 a.m. and motored to Ripon via Darlington in order to carry Ella to the latter place. We arrived at Ripon shortly after noon, and went at once to the Cathedral. An Archdeacon was 'charging' the clergy in the Choir, so we could not enter there: but the intelligent & obliging Head Verger was good enough to show us S. Wilfrid's Crypt and the Library. Dick passed successfully through the 'needle's eye', & was suitably exalted. In the library three superb Caxtons were set out. The Dean has declared that, so long as he reigns at Ripon, they shall not be sold. O si sic omnes [Oh, if only everyone were like that]!
We lunched very comfortably at the Unicorn Hotel, which was crowded with farmers who were attending the weekly market. Then we motored to Fountains, and spent two hours in viewing the mighty relics of the great Cistercian Monastery. Derek was a delightful companion – keen, curious, intelligent and enthusiastic. We [179] had the great advantage of perfect weather and an almost complete absence of tourists. The grounds, now in the fresh glory of early spring, were most beautiful. We had tea comfortably at the Lodge, where we were specially delighted with the tameness of the birds – chaffinches, blackcaps, robins, and sparrows – which all but snatched the food from our table. We returned to Ripon, & again went to the Cathedral. But again our visit coincided with a service. However a most courteous verger showed us some of the more remarkable of the carved Miserere Stalls. Both these officials refused the fee which I offered them. We reached Auckland Castle shortly after 6:30 p.m., having had a most enjoyable day.
I received from Cunningham, the Principal of Westcott house, a letter in which he asked my advice on the case of a clergyman, who, having been a guilty divorcé, had married & lived as a layman, and who now desired to resume his ministry. I replied that his fault appeared to me to be pastorally incapacitating, and that he had better continue to live as a layman.