Tuesday March 23rd

I have had a very bitter disappointment. Grant’s were beaten by HBB in the Final for the Shield by 2-0. There is no doubt they were the better team but the defeat has made me very miserable and depressed. I wanted so much to win the Shield to show that a non-athletic Head was no bar to athleticism in the House. It is the first reverse I have had since I have been Head and it is a very bitter one. ‘Wise men ne’er sit and wail their woes’. It can’t be helped and we did our utmost and made a very hard fight for it. We must now try and get the Cricket.

We had, of course, a Play today; after Hall I went up College and looked at some engravings the Elizabethan Club have given to the School which are rather nice.

I am too sad and sorry to write more tonight. ‘Of comfort no man speak’.

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Monday March 22nd

My ÔÇ£professionalÔÇØ reputation was at stake this morning. Father came in first hour after Abbey and told me young Wright, the Clerk of the Works wished to see me. The Dean had sent him to me about some inscription in the Cloister which was to be re-cut. The reason of this was that some years ago about 1903-4 the Dean asked Hine-Haycock to make a list of all those buried in the Cloisters. Hine turned the job on to me and for a time I worked away aided by C. E . Shearman who drew plans etc. Then Shearman left abruptly and since then the matter has hung round my neck and I have hardly touched the thing. However, today I went round and looked wise and tried to make out the inscription and told Wright I probably had it in my lists. I then searched up Library and found the grave to be a Mrs Catherine Smalbroke, the wife of a sometime Bishop of Lichfield (1760something). I thus saved my reputation and copied the dates etc. I find young Wright also found out most of the details but now we have enough to go upon. The net result is a sudden activity on my part and a renewal of interest so that I worked at it up Library this morning.

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Sunday March 21st

Went to Abbey, sermon very long and bad by a Prebendary of St. Paul’s. Afterwards walked up to Carlos Place to lunch but found Uncle E and Theresa had gone to Fernacres and Aunt Mabel was in bed. However I had a tray brought up to me in her bedroom.

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Saturday March 20th

I did nothing much up Library this morning and spent the breaks in replying to many enquiries from all sorts of people from Nall downwards as to how I did which was rather pleasing to me.

Went up fields with Benvenisti and watched the Town Boy’s defeat the King’s Scholars by 2-1. A very dull and lifeless game. Afterwards I gave a tea-party to Benvenisti, Murray K.D. , Hobson, Rawson and Chapman who turned up unexpectedly. My object in this little party was to bring Murray and Hobson together because if Murray is to be Captain next year they will have to work together. I think it was a successful little party though not wildly interesting.

Later again I went in to see Mrs Raynor who really seemed better and brighter.

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Friday March 19th

I went to breakfast (not being able very well to get out of it) with Jardine this morning who has rooms in Park Street. Roxborough, an Old Carthusian whom I knew slightly as he was a friend of Boult‘s and one Brown, a Marlburian, a delightful person I should think and to whom I took very much, were my fellow guests.

Got safely to the Corn Exchange in time, though I nearly lost my way, and had but an indifferently nice Arithmetic and Algebra paper. In the afternoon wrote an Essay on ‘The purposes of the Chorus in Henry V’ and a bad essay it was, I wished I had decided on ‘The Comic Scenes of the Play’ one of the alternative subjects. I got a good deal of amusement out of watching the various vacant faces round me madly seeking inspiration in all directions and then writing furiously for a few minutes. I got all my thinking done in the first ┬¥ hr and wrote for the next ┬¥ hr. One good man (an undergraduate) went out in ┬¢ an hr and as soon as he had gone the Examiner pounced upon his essay and read it with a slow smile on his face which amused people.

I was one of the last to go and having packed my things, I had previously parted on the best of terms with my bed-maker, walked up to the Union and read the papers eventually catching the 4.35 back, an undergraduate laden train.

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Thursday March 18th

A struggle with a patent coffee-pot brought me into communication with my bedmaker Mrs Ward, a typical specimen reminding me of Mrs Crupp who ‘thanked ‘evin she ‘ad someone to care for at last!’

I went round in good time to the Corn Exchange — that most terrible of buildings whose unspeakable ugliness is completed by the statue erected to Mr Jonas Webb (over life size!) ‘by his friends’ and displaying the lamentable fact that Mr Webb’s tailor as a trouser maker left much to be desired! Bob Horton looking very much harassed was among those in for Pt 2. I had the satisfaction of sitting within two of a grandson of Tennyson. The Paley Paper was easy as was the Geometry on the whole in the afternoon. I went to tea with A E F Wood who has rooms in what is commonly called the ‘spittoon’!! (Whewell’s Court). Found Gray and Goodall, Jardine and Le Blond there so a Westminster party, especially as Maxwell came in later. Not very entertaining, went on from there with Jardine to see Robertson and raise a Cambridge Letter out of him for the Grantite. Dined with Wood at Buol’s at 8 o’clock who gave me a good dinner which I doubt I could afford and generally was very hospitable. As I really hardly knew him it was very noble of him; I do not dislike him at all and on Westminster he was quite sensible. I should imagine he is trying to live in a smart set with not conspicuous success! Returned to my rooms about 9.30.

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Wednesday March 17th

Father not getting up to Early Prep I had to make a special effort and got down in time to take it. Hobson with lamentable lack of faith arrived a few minutes late to take Prep thinking I wasn’t down! Later the question arose whether we were expected to go to the Deanery this afternoon and as no one seemed to know, Low and myself got leave from Gow to go round to see the Dean during 1st school and find out and also to explain that Ward, Williams and myself would be away. We saw Rackham who told us that anyhow both the Dean and he had arranged to go out so we couldn’t have the lecture.

I was late for prayers, Burrell kept me to wish me luck at Cambridge as I am pleased to say did many others. Father went to Oxted by the 1.30 so I had to preside at lunch and quell any tendency to bread-throwing etc! Afterwards I collected the Sports Subs and names and eventually had rather a rush to catch the 3 o’clock from King’s Cross which I managed to do aided by a taxi. I got a carriage to myself. I find Goodall, Gray, Williamson, mad Fletcher besides myself represent Westminster (besides McCarthy, who left some time ago, and Longhurst a terrible outsider who, to my horror, is I see going to Trinity)

I went and saw Mr Hadley about 6 and had dinner in Hall and felt rather out of it though I had Williamson to talk to whom I asked back to my rooms afterwards. I was agreeably surprised in him and we talked away for an hour or more. My rooms are very nice one on the first floor belonging to one Readman and looking out over the Fellow’s Garden on one side and the Hall on the other. The walls were adorned with types of feminine beauty not of the highest ‘the College Girl’ etc!! I sat up working till near eleven.

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Tuesday March 16th

. There was another House Drill, a little better, but we shall lose the Cup. However if we get the Shield, I don’t mind so much. Bonner is out of School with water-on-the-knee. Is it wrong to hope he may stay so? Not only for Seniors but for Gym Comp. – he is one of their best men. We want every chance we can get.

I got leave off French from Gow and went to Burrell for Maths. Simply shook with laughter when Burrell who was drawing a somewhat intricate construction on the board said ‘It’s rather a pretty thing, isn’t it?’ and Fletcher, who is quite mad and of whom you never know what he is going to say next, said slowly and decisively ‘No’! It was so unexpected.

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Monday March 15th

I am better though I still have a sore throat. By dint of two strong doses of Sal Volatile I have managed to keep off a headache which seemed imminent. I haven’t felt particularly bright today. Burrell told me I ought to easily get through, 2nd Class, I wish to goodness the thing was done with. I am sick of the whole business.

I sent a peremptory message by Smurthwaite between tea and prep ‘the noise in hall must cease’ which I heard being delivered word for word and which had the required effect.

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Sunday March 14th

Not very much has happened today for a somewhat obvious reason, I have stayed in bed all day with a sore throat and headache. I feel rather seedy tonight. I was to have dined at Carlos Place but of course I could not. I have read Paley though again today — an admirable Lenten Penance. Now I am going to sleep.

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