even if they do sleep .


They drag themselves around and can become


a burden to their families and their friends .


Any mental confusion can cause this and


the best way is probably to seek advice .


As we are unable to cure our own bodies


if the cause of our pain is too deep seated ,


so we are unable to cure our own minds ,


if the trouble is a complicated one


involving careful and patient treatment .


One of the greatest steps forward that has been


made this century is the way in which illness


of the mind is no longer feared or shunned ,


and is in fact no differently regarded than


physical illness . There is , nevertheless , a


great deal of tiredness which comes from


no major complication but results from an


inability to deal with life , especially under


the diverse pattern which is the twentieth


century .


In the days when most people were born ,


lived and died within the boundaries of


the village , it was not difficult for anybody


to live a day at a time . Even those who


held a high and responsible office lived in


far greater simplicity than their successors .


When news from the Continent took days ,


from America weeks , from the Far East ,


months , even a Prime Minister could go to


sleep in blissful ignorance of what might


be happening at the other end of England ,


In other ways , too , life for the ordinary


individual has become so complex


that it taxes the mind . Two hundred


years ago , men lived and worked


in one place , their lives were of one


piece . Now a man may live twenty ,


thirty even sixty miles from his


work . The only connexion is the


pipeline of the railway on which they


travel day by day .


In many cases , their homes know little of


their place of work and their associates at


the office or works wonder what they


are possibly like in the surroundings of their


homes . It is easy , desperately easy , to lead


a ' double ' life without ever deliberately


planning to do so or in fact being conscious


of what is going on . It is easier to live life in


compartments but over the years it builds up ,


and to do so inevitably builds up tensions which


need to be handled correctly .


Can we then frame some ' rules ' which may enable us to live life


as fully as possible , without having our energy sapped by un-


necessary weariness . ( a ) Order makes for a decrease in tiredness .


We have a saying ' My head will never save my feet ' . Time


after time we forget something and have to go back


upstairs or down to the shops .


If we ever stopped to consider how much energy - and time -


we lose this way in the course of a day we would be


staggered . Some of it is inevitable , and we do not want to


become too pernickety . Nevertheless , we could all probably


be a little more orderly for we so frequently just muddle


through .


The housewife would find life far less tiring


if she made a list , followed a routine of work


rather than getting from one thing to the next .


The business man would find that he reached


the end of the day with far less strain if


he was a little more systematic . To drift


aimlessly along is more wearying than any-


thing else . If we would only sit down and


write out all the necessary jobs waiting to


be done and then work quietly through them ,


we would find life considerably less exhausting


There may be some who will argue that


routine destroys the soul . It is so easy ,


they say , to get into a rut . Save us


from the school curriculum and even


worse the school system whereby for


meals everybody knows beforehand


exactly what , on any given day of the


week , they are going to have . If - such


a critic may say - you are calling


us to adventure , do not strangle us before


we start by putting us into a strait-jacket


I am more than conscious of this . How anybody


can go through the same routine day in and day


out for forty years I find difficult to understand .


A lot of it is inevitable so that industry and


commerce may be kept going - though if ever


it becomes possible to work out a system


of ' staggered ' hours it may do an immense


amount of good over and above relieving


the pressure on over-crowded trains .


As it is , with so much of our life already


in a predetermined groove , I would


hardly like to add further to the dullness


which it engenders . But I am not arguing


for this . I know how much of a drag it can be


and I was interested some little while


ago to hear of a school who tried a six-


day timetable .


They only worked , of course , a five-


day week so that in the first week


Monday to Friday were days one


to five of the timetable , the following


Monday was day six and Tuesday


started day one again and so on .


By this means they avoided each


week being the same with a pupil


knowing exactly what the subject


would be on Friday afternoon at


3 p.m. .


It was a little complicated to work ,


of course , and there had to be a big


notice in the entrance saying which


day of the timetable it was - but


it added immensely to the interest


and kept everybody on their toes .


To have order does not mean getting


into a dull routine . I have great


sympathy with the young wife


who does not always want to do


the washing on a Monday .


I would not want to either , but if she wants to get through


the day without becoming exhausted , she will be well advised to


sit down quietly and make a list of everything she has got to


do , note the order in which they can most conveniently be


done ( or must be done because of other predetermined factors


- you must , for example , do your shopping on the morning of


the early closing day ) .


She will , in fact , be surprised at what peace


of mind ensues . ( b ) Concentrate on one


thing at a time . A list or a plan enables us to


put all our energies into the particular


matter on hand .


( Actually , the Mishnah quotes two further proof


texts and the Gemara explains why these ,


too , are necessary , but a careful examination


of that passage makes it clear that these are


not quoted here because they are not


necessary to prove the point made by


R. Joshua b. Levi . ) Finally , we note that


the comment of Rami bar Rabh is quoted


elsewhere .


From the above it follows that here , once again ,


we have a good illustration of how a


sugya has been fashioned from material


already in the hands of the Redactors .


The sugya is built around the saying of


R. Joshua b. Levi . The proof text for the


reading of the Book of Esther is quoted


with the comment given by Samuel .


( This is probably to be understood as a well-


known comment on the verse ; quoted by


Samuel in support of his thesis and quoted


by the Gemara in support of R. Joshua b.


Levi's thesis ! ) The proof text of greeting by


the divine Name is taken from the Mishnah .


There is no reference to the Mishnah here


because the Mishnah deals with the


actual practice of greeting by the divine


Name and the Gemara here quotes the


texts to support the thesis of R. Joshua b. Levi .


The question and answer with regard to the


need for the text of the angel are quoted


here in the same words in which they are


quoted in the discussion on the Mishnah .


This can either mean that both sugyas are


quoting a well-known question and


answer or that our sugya is quoting from


the longer sugya which deals with all


four texts quoted in the Mishnah .


Or it is possible that our sugya contains the


original question and answer and this is quoted


in the other sugya . ( This can be supported by the


use of the expression : ' Boaz did it of his own


accord but there was no approval of his action


in Heaven ' in both sugyoth . Such an


expression appears to have been framed in


response to the particular point at issue here ,


whether the Heavenly Court concurred


in the decision of the human court . )


The proof text of bringing the tithe to the Temple


is then quoted and the interpretation of the


latter part of the verse by Rami bar Rabh


is added , not because this is at all relevant


to the discussion but because it was


a familiar interpretation which had


become so well known that it was


invariably quoted whenever the verse


itself was quoted , almost as if it were a


part of the verse .


The Gemara continues with a saying of the


Palestinian teacher , R. Eleazar ( 3rd Cent. ) :


' The Holy Spirit manifested itself in three places :


the court of Shem , the court of Samuel of Ramah ,


and the court of Solomon . ' The place of this


saying here is obvious , it follows naturally


on the saying of R. Joshua b. Levi which


deals with a similar theme .


We know from the diaries of Samuel Pepys


that he was a great man for lace - paying


as much as 3 for a lace collar . But this


didn't mean he was prepared to do as much


for his lady , for he records testily : ' My wife


and I fell out about my not being willing


to have her gown laced . '


We read , with sympathy , an advertisement in the


reign of Charles 2 stating : ' Lost : a lawn 1hand-


kercher with a broad hem laced round with


fine Point lace about four fingers broad ' and


among the effects left by Nell Gwyn is an


unpaid bill for ' scarlet satin shoes with


silver lace ' . The records of these tender trifles


are very touching but then lace does place


upon everything a delicate sentiment .


Lucky indeed are the families that


possess a heritage of lace . A lace


bridal veil handed down from mother


to daughters , a lace-trimmed Christening


robe that each generation wears in turn -


these are proud possessions , linked to the


exquisite lace-making of the past .


But lace-making is by no means a lost


art . It suffered a decline and fell into


lamentably low standards in the fussy


over-furnishing of the Victorian age


but it would take more than a temporary


lapse in good taste to destroy this lovely ,


viable craft . It has , in fact , readily


adapted itself to modern tastes and the ill-


ustrations in the following pages will show


how completely it is in sympathy with con-


temporary surroundings .


It will be seen how , with bold design


and rich colour , knitting , crochet and


tatting in fine and medium-weight cottons


can give striking individuality to many things


in the home . Chairbacks , cushions , tablecloths ,


to mention only three - how satisfying it is


to avoid the ready-made in these and by


one's own handiwork produce something


that reflects true creative talent .


The more delicate patterns and finer


threads may be reserved to bring a light


and lovely touch to personal possessions -


a lace border to a handkerchief , fine-lace


insertion on a petticoat or blouse , a tatted edge


to a collar ; these add a charming , feminine


distinction that nothing else can give .


Although we assess lace-making as one of


the feminine skills , a number of the well-loved


traditional patterns that we follow today were ,


in fact , the brain-children of inventive men .


For in the old order of things , men designed


and worked lace as well as women and


special schools were set up to teach lace-


making not only to young girls , but to little


boys as well . Whole families made their


livelihood by lace-making and consequently


a folklore of song , festival and courtship grew


up around the lace industry .


During the sixteenth century a considerable


amount of crochet was produced in the


convents of Europe . Without doubt it was the


nuns who carried the craft to Ireland . There it


was developed into quite an elaborate and distinctive


form with rosettes , leaves and lace fillings . During


the time of Victoria this gentle craft was


greatly abused .


One can remember with horror the pictures of the


overcrowded and over-embellished drawing-rooms


complete with heavy crochet antimacassars , mantel-


piece covers with a fringing of clumsy bobbles and


numerous other crocheted pieces . It was some years


after the Victorian period that designers realised


the potentialities of the craft , and crochet was


revived with designs suitable for contemporary


trends . Crochet today has a variety of uses , and


has even stepped into the field of high fashion .


In some of the elegant boutiques of Paris


hand-crocheted blouses , gossamer fine in


texture , are sold at a very high price . With a


little time and concentration the woman at home can


produce fashion articles as elegant as those of


Paris - a blouse , delicate gloves or a fine


edging for collar , cuffs or a handkerchief .


In the home , crochet lace can be used to make


tablecloths , traycloths and runners , and edgings


from heavy to fine can fulfil a variety of


functions . The art of crochet is not difficult and


it is reasonably quick to work . In the following


pages simple diagrams and instructions are given


to enable the beginner to master all the essential


crochet stitches .


First launder crochet and then pin to the required


shape , ensuring that all lines of the crochet are


accurate . Place crochet in correct position on linen and


secure with pins . Run a line of basting stitches


on the linen following the outline of the crochet edges


which are to be attached to the linen . Remove crochet .


Two methods can be used to join the crochet to the linen :


( a ) Button Stitch round the outline of basting stitches ,


the knotted part of the button stitch lying on the


outside edge . Oversew crochet to button stitch .


( b ) Turn under a small hem , with fold lying on line


of basting stitches . Work a row of dc all round


this hem , with 3 dc at each corner .


Oversew crochet to the dc. A household word ,


Coats Mercer-Crochet possesses qualities which


are of the utmost importance to the worker .


It washes beautifully , never loses its colour


nor becomes ' stringy ' , is very elastic and


preserves the beauty of the design . It is easy


to work with , soft , glossy and of uniform


thickness - it is the ideal crochet thread .


Remember that texture plays an important part in


the beauty of crochet . The finer mercerised threads


are more effective for the delicate designs used for


tablecloths , doilies , edgings and accessories , while


the heavier threads are used for bedspreads ,


chairbacks , luncheon mats , etc. Crochet hooks


are made of steel , composition or bone . Steel


crochet hooks range in size from number 3/0 ,


the largest , to number 8 , the smallest .


Each size of hook is made for use with a certain


size of thread . To ensure the correct results ,


it is important that you use the size of hook


specified in the directions . These are the


correct numbers to use with Mercer-Crochet :


Directions are given for a small practice


piece for each stitch that you learn . When


you have become proficient in these


stitches , attractive articles can be made


from the directions included in this book .


1 . Grasp thread near end between thumb


and forefinger . 2 . Make a loop by


lapping long thread over short thread .


3 . Hold loop in place between thumb


and forefinger ( Fig. 1 ) . 1 . Take hold


of broad bar of hook as you would a


pencil . Bring middle finger forward to


rest near tip of hook .


2 . Insert hook through loop and under long


thread . Catch long end of thread ( Fig. 2 ) .


Draw loop through . 3 . Do not remove hook


from thread . Pull short end and ball thread


in opposite directions to bring loop close around


the end of the hook , but not too tight


( Fig. 3 ) . Loop thread round little finger ,


across palm and behind forefinger ( Fig. 4 ) .


A great deal of modern furniture has tapered


legs , and in reproduction period pieces they


are frequently used . The simpler varieties are


extremely easy to work , the four sides being


simply planed to give the required taper . In


the more elaborate varieties , however , a toe is


worked in the solid , and this certainly


complicates the operation .


For short ones a smoothing plane can be used .


The gauge can now be used to nick in the tapers


on the newly planed surfaces , and these treated


as before . It is unnecessary to mark the taper with


the straight-edge as one relies upon the truth


of the plane sole to make the tapered surfaces


straight .


A glance at the gauge marks at the bottom


end reveals when the required amount


has been removed , and if care is taken


to stop the plane short of the squared


pencil line at the top , the work will be


accurate . The straight-edge can be used


to test the straightness of the sides .


Incidentally , it is better to


complete any mortising that may be


needed at the top before the tapering is


begun . Some plain tapered legs have


the taper on the two inner faces only ,


the outer surfaces being vertical as


at ( B ) , Fig. 1 . To make a leg such as


that at ( D ) , Fig. 1 , the square is first


marked out as at ( A ) , Fig. 3 .


Note that squared lines marking


the top member of the toe are


needed as well as the upper ex-


tent of the taper , and in


this case it is necessary to


mark in the line of the taper


with pencil and straight-edge


as at ( B ) , Fig. 3 . A saw cut is


made at the upper toe line


exactly down to the taper line ,


no farther .


But why woodwork in particular ? Well , there


are many reasons . Wood is in good and


common supply ; it lends itself to making


innumerable useful household items -


furniture , fitments , garden items , toys , etc. ;


it enables results to be obtained fairly


quickly ; it is less expensive than most


other materials ; it is a pleasant material


to work with ; and , although it does


create a certain amount of mess , it is


all clean and easily cleared away .


This last point is certainly important because almost


everyone has come to recognise that machines


are not only an economic necessity , but that a


great deal of drudgery can be avoided by the


installation of a power tool . As an elementary


example , surely no one can pretend to enjoy


ripping out parts from hardwood . Most men


would unhesitatingly use a machine if it


were available .


Coming now to the actual tools and their cost , we begin


with what we have called a bare minimum kit . Probably


most men have some of the tools already . It will enable


a man to make simple , straight-forward things , and in


any case may be regarded as a good beginning to


which other tools can be added as the need arises . The


nature of the work will probably dictate the additions


to be made , but as a guide we have given a fuller kit


which increases the range of things that can be


made enormously .


As a still further development , we follow


with a good basic kit , which includes


the fuller kit ( which in its turn , of course ,


includes the bare minimum kit ) .


With this the vast majority of jobs


can be done , though for advanced


cabinet work the necessity for


certain special tools will become


obvious .


Lastly , we suggest certain power tools and


machines , the choice of which will


depend partly upon the space available


in the workshop , the amount one


is prepared to pay , and the type of


work a man normally does . First ,


however , a word of advice generally .


Do not buy so-called cheap tools or


machines . They never are cheap in the


long run . They may be inaccurate ,


Most tools have to lead an intensive life , and faults


in design or quality soon become apparent . It is far


better to pay the fair price for a tool of good


quality , and not handicap yourself from the start .


To put it in a slightly different way , do not allow


yourself to blame the tools when the job does


not turn out quite right !


Many men with only limited accommodation


have to do their woodwork on the kitchen table .


Providing this is sound , some perfectly good


work can be done on it , but the usual problems


are those of the vice , the bench stop , and storage


place for tools . The combined bench top and


tool cupboard shown here has been specially


designed and made for WOODWORKER


readers who have this difficulty .


HERE is a project that will be welcomed by the


family man or father-to-be . Unlike many


commercial articles , this chair is solidly built and


capable of withstanding the heavy handling of the


most destructive youngster . Almost any available


timber can be used but Parana pine is


recommended , being cheap , easy to work , and


taking a good finish .


Start by making the two side frames from 1 in. by 1 1/4 in. planed


timber as shown in Fig. 1 . Although the timber will have already


been machine planed , remember to go over each piece with


a smoothing plane , otherwise the marks left by the cutters


will show up after painting . The dimensions given enable the


feeding tray to slide over a 30 in. table , but the height


can be altered if required .


All the joints are simple halving joints glued and pinned ,


which should nevertheless be cut with care to ensure a neat


appearance . The side frames are joined by four cross pieces


each 1 1/4 in. by 1/2 in. by 14 in. which fit into the recesses ( C ) ,


cut to fit them .


See Fig. 2 . These are then glued and


pinned into place . A similar piece of 1 in.


by 1 1/4 in. by 14 in. timber is fixed across


the end of the feeding tray as seen in


Fig. 3 which also shows how a piece of


hardboard is covered with plastic material


for easy cleaning and then fixed underneath


the frame with panel pins to complete


the feeding tray .


Cut this piece of hardboard so that it


fits up against the front legs of the


chair . The seat rests across the upper two


cross pieces and is made of 1/2 in. plywood


glued and panel pinned in position , measurements


being taken directly from the work . Fig. 4


shows the framework for the back which


is made from 1 1/4 in. by 1/2 in. timber .


The amount of the backward tilt and


also the height is left to personal choice


and the width is best taken directly


from the work to ensure a good fit .


Fix the piece A to the sides first


with glue and panel pins and then fit


the frame together with the piece


B temporarily in place on the chair


frame .


Decide on the required angle of slope ,


keeping B flat on the chair seat , and mark


off the exact position of B on the side


pieces . These can then be cut at the correct


angle and B is glued and nailed in place .


A piece of hardboard is then cut and pinned


to the frame and its edges planed off


flush .


Finally attach the back firmly to the sides with


screws driven from the inside . The footrest is a


piece of timber 14 in. long and about 1/2 in.


by 4 in. attached to the front legs with a pair


of angle irons as shown in Fig. 5 . When determining


the position of the footrest , do not place too near


the seat to allow for the growth of baby's legs .


To complete the job , screw two fittings to the


inside of the chair arms about 2 1/2 in. from the


back to hold the baby's safety harness . These can be


made by shaping and soldering two pieces of stout


wire as shown in Fig. 6 . Make sure that these


are well secured as they will have to withstand


considerable pulling as the child becomes older .


Punch in all nail and panel pin heads and fill the holes


with plastic wood . Then thoroughly glasspaper the whole


framework and round off any sharp edges ( such as the


edge of the seat , feeding tray , etc ) . Fill the grain with a


woodfiller in the usual way and paint the frame in


a suitable pastel shade , using a contrasting colour


for the seat and the back which can be decorated with


a suitable nursery transfer .


Avoid using lead-based paint as this could prove poisonous


if junior decides to bite the chair . Finally , it is as well


to cover the footrest with rubber or any such protective


material that might be available as otherwise the


paint would soon be scratched off .


( J.H.P. ) BUILDING your own boat is a most


satisfying and worthwhile project .


Here are the plans of a very seaworthy little


rowing dinghy many of which I have built and


sold . It is especially designed for simplicity in


construction , cheapness and lightness of weight ,


and measures approximately 8 ft. by 4 ft. She


weighs only 60 lb. but can carry three people


and an outboard motor with a comfortable


margin of freeboard .


For instance , in Canada we use galvanised nails


in place of screws . We just bend them over and clamp


firmly by using a hammer on each side . Over here I 've


always used brass screws , which are more expensive . The first


job is to make your moulds . In Fig. 1 it quotes 3/4 in. five-ply ,


but to save money any scrap may be used , and if this


is nailed and glued together strongly , it may be marked


and cut to shape later .


If you do not have a wooden floor on which to anchor


the moulds , make a frame of rough lumber as shown in


Fig. 2 . The main idea is to have the moulds standing as


rigid as possible , for it is on these you will be building


and shaping your little craft , upside-down . For cheapness


I recommend using Douglas Fir Plywood from British


Columbia .


This is hot pressed and resin bonded to ensure


a permanently water proof glue line . Be sure to


see that the edge bears the mark , P.M.B.C. Exterior .


This may be bought at any good timber merchants .


The transoms can be made of any sound five-ply


wood of the same make , or oak or mahogany . For the


last one I made , I used the two flaps from an old


mahogany table which I bought at a sale for one


shilling .


I have also included a sketch of paddles I make for


rowing this dinghy ( Fig. 3 ) . They are very simple , cheap


and easy to make . As will be seen from the plan


there is only a single gunwale on the outside .


I find that the type of rowlock we use in Canada


is difficult to obtain here and expensive . I overcome


this in another way as shown in Fig. 4 .


Cut the moulds and the


transoms to shape as in the


detailed drawings . If you have


a wooden floor you can use


' A ' frames fastened to the floor


if not , use a strong horizontal


frame that will sit firmly on


the ground or concrete floor . I


use a heavy old base as in


Fig. 2 .


The edges of the transoms should be bevelled to


correspond to the sides and bottom of the boat .


Don't forget to cut out on each side of each mould


to allow for the chines to rest in these


notches , as they are not fastened to the


moulds , which will only be used whilst


the hull is under construction .


The chine is the long stringer on each side which


is joined to both transoms and lies in the grooves


cut in the moulds . Each chine is made of oak ,


ash , spruce or any long grained flexible wood . I


prefer spruce when available . As will be seen


in the plan , the transoms have a frame 1 in. by 1 in.


on each side .


The chines are morticed into this and butt up


against the transom . Start at the bow and


spring them both at the same time over the


slots cut in the moulds and into the notches


cut for this purpose in the stern or after


transom framing . Glue , screw and make fast .


The skeleton of the boat will now take shape ,


and this is the time to check before making fast


to see that nothing is distorted . Ensure that


the outside measurements from transom to transom


are equal on each side and that the transoms


are parallel horizontally . Next bevel the chines


with a plane so that the bottom will fit snugly .


Cut out the bottom and sides accurately from the


plan measurements but leave sufficient margin for


planing after fixing to the boat . Use your two


lengths of 8 ft. by 4 ft. ply for this


purpose , the sides from one , and the bottom from


the other . If care is taken not to waste the


ply , plenty of material is left over for the thwarts .


Having trimmed up the chines , we are now ready


to plank the sides . Start again at the bows ,


clamping into position with a ' D ' clamp . Bend


round the frame to the stern and clamp there . If


you have a third clamp use it in the centre as


well . After generously covering with glue , screw


the sides to the transom framing and the chine .


Use 5/8 by No. 4 gauge screws ( brass ) or nail


with inch and a quarter galvanized nails , if


you are doing it that way . Use flat head screws


about 4 in. apart and do not counter-sink in


the 1/4 in. ply . Make a very small hole for


the screw to allow for a good grip . Remember


to glue before screwing .


Clean up with the plane ready for the bottom ,


which is cut in one piece . It should overlap just a


trifle ; this can be cleaned up later . As you are


screwing and gluing this piece to the chines it is


necessary to be careful not to miss the chine with


the screws . I prefer spacing screws 3 in. apart for


the bottom , both for screwing to the chines and


the bottom shaped transom facing .


Again , don't forget to glue . Now put on the keel and


the rubbing strakes and you are ready to lift the boat off


the moulds . You won't want them again for this boat , so


shift them right out of the way . Place the boat right side


up on two boxes or trestles of convenient height for


working .


Fix on the gunwales and insert the thwarts ( seats )


taking care to reinforce the sides of the dinghy at the seats


with vertical members as shown in the plans . Make the


four blocks for the rowlocks and mark their positions


before riveting on the gunwales so that you do not put


a rivet where you will have to cut out the inside ( gunwale )


one to fit the block .


I rivet my gunwales together through the side of the hull


with copper nails and roves . It greatly improves the


appearance and the strength . Paint with good marine primer ,


undercoat and at least one coat of finishing paint .


WHEN an assortment of differently coloured materials are cut


into a variety of shapes they can be combined by either


making fabric pictures or designs .


While these may ultimately be made into a picture


for framing and hanging on a wall , they may


also be arranged into a design , and the


resulting panel utilized for decorating a useful


article .


This could hardly happen without the


herring having some orientation with the


sea bottom . It means that the crowding


is caused during the daytime , and that


the herring must continue to migrate over


the ground as well as in midwater and


during the swim ( the swim at East Anglia


is always from the north ) .


Thus we can see that herring


movements , although primarily


instinctive perhaps , and certainly


helped and hindered by water flow ,


are also closely related to the sea-bed


geography . Geography , too , names the


great fisheries that depend on them :


the Fladen Ground ( where again most big


shots are taken on the edges ) , the Gut ,


a deep-water channel to the Dogger where


the herring spawn along the northern


The effect of bottom congestion due to


the light pressure is inevitably mixed


with that of the suitability of ground


for spawning . Both result in crowding ,


so there is no need to try to separate


them - thank Heaven ! A good picture of


this is seen on the 150 miles of spawning


grounds from the Viking in the north down


to the Klondykes and the Reef along


the western edge of the Norwegian


Deep .


In this 200-fathom trench the herring do not touch the bottom .


Their descent stops at the end of the light pressure . But


they migrate easterly to the Norwegian side , or westerly , until


in the shallower water the mile wide layers disappear from the


echo-sounders . Bottom crowding comes when they cannot reach


their optimum depth ; and this coincides with the suitable


gravelly soil of these many roughs where the spring-


spawning herring are always found .


The joint evidence of echo-sounders


and fishing gear leads to an overall


though somewhat dim picture .


The details are harder still to see .


Drift Effects . At East Anglia , for instance ,


shoals that gather at the Knoll or


other banks are most of them


going to travel a hundred


miles farther south before they


spawn . Some will spawn at the


So the arrival of any particular shoal


fish at a certain spawning ground may


be accidental . Yet there will always be some


that find it if enough are travelling , just as


the robin who gets back exactly may be


only one among thousands who do not .


But this southerly migration is not


accidental . Being contranatant or against


the drift , it probably has a survival value


in ensuring that the fry after hatching


are drifted back into the normal home


Drift in another form probably


explains how these migrating herring


are biased to east or west by the


different winds . Strong westerlies


are well known to bring good


longshore fishings . The surface


water that is blown offshore must


be replaced by an underflow bringing


with it the herring to the Norfolk


and Suffolk beaches .


Easterly winds , on the other hand ,


mean no herring along the shore , as


recent years have shown . A succession


of winds is needed for this effect of


course - one breeze will not do it ,


though a very hard westerly will


often start off the " local " herring ;


but quite apart from this wind effect


there is an easterly drift special


to this rump of coastline , caused by


the meeting of water from north and south .


Herring fishermen call this " the outset " . It


is strongest at spring tides , when without


wind you will " set " out - or drift to the east-


ward , the length of half a fleet of nets -


almost a mile on every tide at the Smith's


Knoll . Without an explanation of how it


works , it may well be that this outset , akin


to the mouth of a great salmon river , has


been the biggest factor through the ages


in the constancy of this great herring fishery .


The East Anglian behaviour ( see p. 82 )


has always differed from that of the


summer fisheries . There is the " swim "


at slack waters , even in daylight


sometimes ; and the high swimming ,


when fish are caught only in the top


few yards of netting . These and other


fascinating behaviour mysteries are peculiar


to this fishery , which unfortunately seems


to be dying out ; but a full discussion of


them is beyond the present scope .


The Bow-wave Theory . This assumes


that all fishing gear , when moving ,


sends before it a kind of scaring effect ,


probably through waves or vibrations in


the water or along the ground .


Underwater films suggest that the


footrope of a trawl does this . Films


have also shown plaice moving before


a seine net in just the same way after


being gathered inwards by the ropes .


( Just how the seine ropes do this is not yet proved ; it may


be by actual contact , or by sight reaction to the disturbed


sand ; or even in the case of flat fish , by vibrations


through or along the bottom . ) But given such a bow


wave of disturbance , it is obvious that without something


to overcome its effect , very few fish would be caught .


Let us consider first what would


appear to be the simplest case -


that of flat fish on the bottom .


The evidence suggest that the fish are


aware of the moving footrope before


it reaches them . They move away before


it , swimming at the same speed


for an unknown period of time , until


they become ( 1 ) tired , or ( 2 ) more used


to the disturbance .


Then they stop swimming and are caught . In


the seine-net film this usually seemed to


happen just after the fish had risen above


the footrope , and presumably out of its


field of disturbance , or bow wave . This suggests


that the wave might be transmitted by the


sea-bed , though the footrope in this case


was actually just off the bottom and was


indeed passing over some fish .


Actually the seine net has little or no cover .


And in this film the rise of the fish was


small , a matter of a foot or two . With round


fish like haddock , which would hardly


find safety on the bottom , this cover


would seem to be even more essential ;


but more films are needed to prove this .


Cover in the fast-moving trawl is considered


essential to catch round fish whose


reaction to disturbance would be upwards .


WE have not yet reached the stage in Britain


when 50 planes are engaged in spreading 1,500 tons


of DDT and fuel oil over 3 million acres or when


20 million acres are sprayed with dieldrin . An eye-


witness described one sprayed area as literally rank with


the stench of small game and birds dead from insecti-


cide poisoning .


Wholesale chemical spraying , upsetting as it


does the balance of nature by killing both pests


and predators , is viewed with concern by a


number of American State Research Stations . Not


content with issuing bulletins on the dangers


of the misuse of chemicals in agriculture ,


some stations are carrying out useful research on


pest control by biological means . Both native and


imported predatory insects and insect pathogens


are used in field trial tests .


The biological control of pests in the garden


is not new to the American gardener . Lady-


birds figure in press advertisements , their


sale being by the gallon . Praying mantis ( Mantis


religiosa ) , both native and " immigrant " varieties ,


are used by gardeners in all parts of the United


States . Advertisements offer eggs of European ,


Chinese or native forms of mantis .


From the day it hatches in the spring


until it dies in the late autumn , the


praying mantis satisfies its voracity by


eating other insects . Nine blowflies


may be consumed at one sitting and


the fully adult , 2 1/2-in.-long insect ,


is able to keep a firm hold on one


grasshopper while eating another .


According to Dr. Max Beier in " Fang-


heuschrecken " ( Die Neue Brehm Bu"ckerei ,


1952 ) , the praying mantis is trecking


northwards .


Meanwhile Mr. Moncrieff had sent me an


egg-case of the Chinese mantis . The


first mantis had hatched from the very large


egg-case on June 6 . Both the Chinese


and Spanish mantis , in the young stage


at any rate , are light brown in colour .


Because of the cool , wet weather , I had great


difficulty in breeding fruit flies and , after


many of the mantis of both types had died


in my Kilner jars , I poured living mantis


over vines and peachtrees .


A Gardeners Chronicle reader living in


Grantham , Lincs , kindly offered to


cooperate with me in studying praying


mantis as a pest control in the cold


greenhouse . Of the dozen Spanish mantis


sent him by post on June 22 , only two or


three survived the journey ; one thrived


and the latest report I have is that


this mantis is still alive .


DESPITE the steady influx of substitutes


since the end of the war , clay pots are


still in greatest demand . It is mostly


in the smaller sizes that the substitutes


have made headway , and although


numerous small clay pots are used each


year , they are fewer than they were 10


years ago . In the larger sizes there is still


no real substitute for clay that can be


obtained at a comparable price , except the


bituminized paper pots which are used on


commercial nurseries for growing tomatoes


The main disadvantage of the clay pot is its


brittle nature ; even with reasonably careful


handling , the annual losses are often around


10 per cent. , and where the handling and


storage facilities are not too good , these


losses will be even greater . This does not


necessarily apply to the larger sizes , as


they are not quite so fragile as the


smaller ones and are not normally thrown


about in quite the same way .


The storage problem puts clay pots at a


definite disadvantage . They are fairly heavy


and difficult things to accommodate and


they must have some protection from severe


weather , which can be quite a headache in


a small garden . While admitting that


broken pots have on occasions provided


artists with delightful studies , there is no


doubt that a pile of badly stacked ,


half-broken pots is an unlovely sight


from any point of view .


Every garden boy will agree that having to


wash clay pots is a definite factor in


favour of their abolition ; in fact one


young man was so wholehearted about this


a few years ago that he made the headlines


for having smashed a large number # to


relieve his feelings . On the small-to-medium


establishment , it is a disagreeable chore


which nobody tackles with any enthusiasm ,


whereas on larger establishments the pots


can be sterilized or washed by machine .


It is not easy to make an economic


comparison between clay pots and the various


substitutes ; the former may last indefinitely


with luck , while the latter are often


expendable used only once . Clay pots are


efficient and congenial containers in which


to grow plants . In their proper setting they


are not unattractive and , in spite of


their shortcomings , most gardeners have


a nostalgic affection for them .


Present-day pots are better finished , do


not get dirty so readily and are easier to


wash . The deep rims make for neater and


safer stacking , though they are still


expensive and still get broken . On the


other hand , there is really no replacement


for the larger sizes , so they have the


decided advantage of being the only


suitable container available in quantity


for fairly large plants .


Soil blocks are probably the oldest alternative to clay


pots for plant raising . These are compressed blocks of


compost , made in a specially devised press to


simulate roughly the shape and size of a pot .


Usually cylindrical or hexagonal in shape , they


are made of the same compost as would have


been used in a pot , the # only difference being


that it is used in a slightly moister


condition .


Seed is sown , or seedlings are pricked out into them


in the normal way , the only real difference


being that more of the watering is done through a


rose to avoid breaking the blocks with a spout


of water . First-class plants of tomatoes ,


cucumbers , marrows , melons , cauliflowers ,


celery and onions , may all be raised in soil


blocks ; so can such flowering plants as


dahlias , chrysanthemums , salvias , sweet peas ,


lupins and numerous others .


One big advantage of soil blocks is an obvious


one : the cost of a pot of any description is saved


completely . Manufacturing the block and planting


it is very little more trouble than normal potting ,


and a superior plant , which transplants more


easily , is produced . The obvious limitation #


is that soil blocks can only be used for


propagating ; there can be no progression to a


larger block when the plant or seedling is ready


to be moved ; it must be planted out or


potted .


Many amateur gardeners might improve their


results by buying a small hand-operated soil


block maker and use the money saved on


buying small pots to improve their composts .


The various types of small paper pots are very


useful for short-term operations , but are


inclined to collapse if the plants are in them


too long .


They are # quite useful for plants that are


despatched to market or direct to customers ,


their cheapness making them attractive to the


nurseryman ; there is also considerable saving


in carriage costs because of their lightness .


There are many types of plastic pots available ;


some expensive , some quite cheap ; some good


and others not so good . A wide range of


plants grow quite well in plastic pots and


usually need less water than those in clay


pots .


They are slightly more difficult to


manage , however , until a little experience


has been gained with them . Plastic pots


are usually more expensive than clay ones ,


but they are almost indestructible and


will last a long time with normal care .


The job of the teacher is to set the learner's


vocabulary to work on the existing store


so as to make it grow . He does not


simply pack new things into the store .


The solitary learner has to find out


how to do this for himself , with the help


of books . He uses his vocabulary to


ask questions and uses the books to


find the answers .


Thus learning how to learn means becoming


your own philosopher , your own psychologist


and your own teacher . You will then be


a well-established learner and the world


will be at your feet . Although the word


" mind " has given rise to endless


controversy among philosophers and psycho-


logists , many of whom would like to


abolish it from the dictionary , most


of us obstinately go on using it .


And then you get a knock on the head and all evidence of


" mind " vanishes , at any rate for some time . It seems very difficult


to detach the mind from the brain , and all the biological ,


surgical and pharmacological evidence points to a very


close connection . There is a lot to be said for keeping the


word " soul " to stand for what many believe to be the imperishable


essence of a man which is supposed to persist apart from


the body , and to reserve the more prosaic word " mind " for


the basis of all those experiences and phenomena which


are clearly associated with the brain .


Can we now put forward any reasonably clear


picture of this " basis " of mental phenomena ?


The physicists have succeeded remarkably well ,


with the atomic theory , in giving a clear and detailed


picture of the basis of such material phenomena


as chemical action , magnetism , the behaviour of


gases and so on . Where has psychology got to in its


theories of " mind " ? Are there any ultimate units


of mind akin to the atoms of matter ?


At one time it was thought that mind could indeed


be analysed into discrete bits . These bits were


identified as elementary sensations . These were


thought to combine together to form compound


experiences by analogy with the way atoms of


matter combine to form molecular compounds .


But this view led to too many difficulties and


was finally abandoned . Nevertheless the search


for basic units of mind has gone on and will


doubtless continue , for it is the aim of science to


discover ultimate units .


We must beware , however , of supposing that there must be any


close analogy between the units of quite different


sciences . For example the success of the atomic theory


in physics might lead us to suppose that the ultimate


units of geometry must be points . It would be more


correct to regard operations as the ultimate units of


geometry .


There have been many conflicting tendencies in


psychology in its search for ultimate units and here


we can only indicate what seems to be the most promising


concept which is current today . It is known as the schema .


It is not an easy concept and if I try to make it


concrete it will be at the cost of over-simplification


but even so it may be better than a meaningless abstraction .


It is the tendency to get things


the wrong way round . As a


psychologist I am constantly


encountering this tendency


in friends and acquaintances .


They think there is something


inevitably " queer " about psychology


and this feeling of queerness


usually boils down to a quite


mistaken belief that the


psychologist first looks into ...


This is what I mean by " getting things the wrong way


round " . He is far more likely to find out about how


his own mind works by looking at other people's .


For although looking inwards ( or " introspecting "


as it is called ) , is not entirely ruled out ,


nowadays most psychologists would agree that it is


one of the most unreliable methods of getting


any precise information .


And so they prefer objective methods . Since they cannot


directly look into the mental processes of another


person they observe his visible behaviour and then try


to give theoretical interpretations of what lies behind


this behaviour . This is no more queer than the method


of the doctor who observes signs , and records symptoms ,


and diagnoses the inner states responsible for them .


He may never have had the disease himself but he


can nevertheless identify it . Similarly the psychologist has


to be prepared to observe and make inferences about


all kinds of processes in other people , whether or not they


correspond with anything in his own experience . We know


very little about the patterns of brain-activity which


provide our schemas , nor do we need to know as far as


psychology is concerned - these patterns are the concern of


the neuro-physiologists .


The numerically largest group , consisting of male


weekly wage-earners up to chargehand level


and in the works only , excluding the offices , was


therefore selected . A detailed age-structure was


compiled from personnel department records ,


revealing that there were ( at that time ) seven-


teen men seventy years of age or older ,


thirty-three aged sixty-four years , and sixty-


five just fifty years of age .


A small panel was formed , not on a formally representative


basis but rather of energetic and concerned individuals ,


from various levels in the firm . In due course


the panel decided to seek further insight into the


problems faced by older workers , and approached


those seventy years of age or older .


The Rubery , Owen scheme is now in its


fourth year , and opportunity has been taken


to revise the course in the light of


experience . Topics for the six weekly meetings


of one-and-a-half hours ( each held half in


company time , half in the man's time ) are


now as follows : 1 . Personal adjustment 2 . Health


3 . Work and leisure 4 . Living arrangements


5 . Financial planning 6 . Final discussion


The weekend conference for the men and their wives ,


which takes place at company expense in a country or


resort hotel , includes an address on ' The Woman's Point


of View ' and one on ' Making the Most of Health ' . Separate


discussions are arranged for the wives in addition to the


plenary sessions . Of the men reaching fifty years of age


since the scheme started , 125 ( 37.2 per cent ) have


taken part .


The original scheme was planned to provide short re-


fresher courses at the ages of fifty-five and sixty :


the first of these is due in 1963 . Meanwhile , each


' graduate ' is encouraged to seek help and advice in


working out his ideas , either through the company's


personnel department or by an approach to


members of the panel responsible for the scheme .


The latter do not regard themselves as expert


advisers , but are prepared to seek out the


appropriate sources of information or advice .


Towards the end of 1956 , Mr. Daniel Grant ,


an Employee Relations Officer of


Rolls-Royce Ltd. and a member of the


Workers' Educational Association , submitted


to the Lord Provost of Glasgow , Dr. Andrew


Hood , a copy of his report on an enquiry


he had made into the problems that beset


older workers and the effects of retirement


Hugentobler Roger


The Lord Provost , having studied the report on ' The Morale and


Health of Retired Workers ' , and being satisfied that the matters


raised were of considerable importance to the citizens of


Glasgow and warranted further study , set an informal


committee representative of bodies particularly concerned with


the welfare of older people to examine the report and


its implications and to consider the advisability of


arranging a Conference on Preparation for and


Occupational Activities on Retirement .


The large attendance and atmosphere of


this Conference , held in October , 1957 ,


reflected not only an increasing awareness


of the problems of men and women nearing


or already in retirement but also a strong


desire on the part of all concerned for


concerted action towards preparing men


and women for life in retirement and more


adequate provision of facilities for


crafts , hobbies and leisure-time interests


for those who are retired .


As a result , the Glasgow Retirement Council came


into being in April , 1958 , with Dr. Andrew Hood as


chairman and Mr. Andrew Atkinson as secretary . The


Council has active committees on Education and


Preparation for Retirement , and on Occupational


Centres . The former consists of representatives from


the Glasgow Corporation Further Education Department ;


the Workers' Educational Association ; the University


Extra-Mural Education Committee and departments


of psychology , education and social science ; ... .


In 1959 it was suggested by Mr. T. M. Banks , Assistant Director


of Education for Glasgow , that industrial firms might be ready


to let older employees attend day-release courses on preparation


for retirement , their wages paid for the time thus spent . An


approach was made to about twenty large firms and in Oc-


tober , 1959 , the first experimental day-release course for


men was organised . Eleven students from seven firms atten-


ded a course on six full Fridays and it was made clear both


to the men and their employers that the venture was an


experiment from which the organisers hoped to learn as much


as the participants .


1 . Are there differences in adjustment to ageing


and retirement according to the occupational


level of employees ? 2 . If so , which occupational


levels are the better or the poorer prepared


for successful adjustment to retirement and


in what aspects ? 3 . Does the evidence


obtained support a rationale for adapting


a pre-retirement planning and preparation


programme to the needs of older employees


of different occupational levels ?


Each time you rehearse you will probably put


things in a different way . All the better ! - it will


sound much more spontaneous on the occasion


itself . Remember your four names - have the list


with you if you like - and you simply can't


be flummoxed ! Of course , in any speech a good


start and a good finish are half the battle .


So - see the next page ! Yes , they are waiting for you .


But there is no need to be frightened . The audience


will eat out of your hand - if they like what


you offer them . A good start will put them in a


good humour . Ladies and gentlemen ! I 'm afraid


I have not had much experience of public speaking .


But that 's a terrible way to begin ! Why tell them you


are a novice ? It 's their interest you want - not their


sympathy . And you want to get it from the word


GO ! Try something like this : It is said that tele-


vision keeps people at home . But you , at any


rate , have proved that wrong . And they say , too ,


that television makes its appeal to those of lesser


intelligence .


May I suggest that you have proved that


right ! Congratulations ! And away you go into


your speech . Take some thought , too , for your ending .


Thank you for listening to me so patiently . A political


candidate often used that finish . No wonder he


didn't get in ! Instead he might have ended


this way : Well , those are my views .


When he learned what was causing the commotion he


became greatly alarmed , and after the body had been


taken to St Thomas's Hospital it was his


grief-stricken duty formally to identify Elizabeth


Camp , aged thirty-three , the girl who was to have


been his bride . There was little doubt of how


she had met her death , and even less that it


had been murder .


She had been struck several times with a blunt


instrument , and her head was smashed in .


There were signs of a violent struggle , blood


on the cushions and floor , and the remains


of her broken umbrella . But a pair of bone


cuff-links found in the compartment seemed


to provide the only possible clue to the killer .


The body was examined , and it was definitely


established that no sexual assault had taken place .


It seemed probable that the motive had been


robbery , and this was further confirmed when a


check was made with the woman's relations in


Hounslow . Miss Camp had been the housekeeper at the


Good Intent , a public-house in Walworth . Her day


off was Thursday , and before coming up to London


in the evening she had called on her two sisters ,


one of whom lived at Hammersmith and the


other at Hounslow , where she kept a shop .


Elizabeth had left Hammersmith in the late afternoon ,


and arrived at Hounslow around 5 P.M. , where


she had tea with her other sister , and then


went to catch the 7.42 . Her sister saw her


to the station , helping her with some of


her packages . This sister was able to establish


that she had carried a green purse and


had bought a railway ticket .


But both purse and ticket , and the packages , were gone when the body


was found at Waterloo . Neither the sisters nor Mr Berry thought it


likely that she had been carrying much money . A porter at Hounslow


supported the sister's statement that Elizabeth Camp had been alone in her


compartment when the train left , but this did not help much , since it


had made stops at nine stations before Waterloo .


The police began a systematic search of the line -


no easy task , but one in which patience and method


paid off . At a spot on the embankment between


Putney and Wandsworth they found a bloodstained


pestle such as chemists use , with some hairs


sticking to it . The murder weapon , more than likely ,


and perhaps evidence enough to have brought a


killer to book in modern times .


But in 1897 , alas ! there was no fingerprint bureau ,


no experts to check and photograph any ' dabs ' it


might have yielded . It was a tough case to


tackle , and Superintendent Robinson , of the L.S.W.R.


Police , and Chief Inspector Marshall , of Scotland


Yard , combined forces in the investigation . While


accepting the likelihood that Miss Camp had been


attacked for the sake of robbery , they did not


overlook the possibility that this might have


disguised another motive , and a thorough check


of her former men friends and acquaintances began .


They also had to cope with the usual flood of rumours , so-


me well meant , some mischievous , including one that a


man had been seen fleeing from Vauxhall station on


the Thursday evening , with blood actually dripping from


his hands . The inquest was opened on February 17 , but ,


beyond the jury hearing a formal identification of


the victim and inspecting at Waterloo the carriage


in which she had died , there was nothing on


which to proceed , and the inquest was


adjourned .


Day by day the police followed up likely and even unlikely


trails . It was learned that Elizabeth Camp had been lending


money to her relatives , and her brother-in-law was asked for


a detailed account of his movements on the 11th . The dead


woman had been engaged once before - to a barman


named Brown .


This man agreed that his engagement had


been broken off after one particular


tiff , but denied that he owed Miss Camp any


money . All the while the police were casting about


for a man who had been seen leaving the train


at Wandsworth . A passenger described this individual


as a man of about thirty , of medium height , with


a dark moustache , and wearing a frockcoat


and a top-hat .


The porter at the station bore out this


description , but the man was not traced .


Perhaps the news of their search got around ,


for a man did obligingly present himself


at Wandsworth police-station , claiming to have


committed the murder - but he was mentally


defective , and , despite his claim to infamy ,


had been nowhere near the 7.42 that evening .


Even the bone cuff-links found beside the body , which


had at first been considered as belonging to the killer ,


proved yet another red herring , for it was learned that


they had been borrowed by Elizabeth Camp from one


of her sisters . A young man from Reading named Marshall


had an uncomfortable time in the presence of the coroner .


This man was known to have left his home on February 11 , and


to have been away for four days . Not in itself a crime , but , added to


the knowledge that he had gone shopping in the town of Guil-


dford for a false moustache , it left him with something to


explain . His story was that he had left home to try to


join the Army ( presumably feeling that a moustache might enhance


his military bearing ) , and this was accepted .


And so the inquest , which had dragged on , with


adjournments , until April 7 , finally had to be content to return


a verdict of " wilful murder against some person or


persons unknown . " The most vital clue of the Wedgwood


pestle had been of no assistance . The killer must


have been very thankful that the science of


dactyloscopy was only in its beginnings .


The next female fatality occurred eight years later ,


yet so strange were the circumstances that it was


a further seven years before even a ghost of a


solution emerged . There has always been something


sinister in the idea of tunnels . The building of


them was one of the most dangerous jobs con-


nected with railway construction ; and there


were many people who believed that to travel


through tunnels would be an equally


hazardous business .


Some thought that the result would be all


sorts of horrible illnesses brought on by the


confined atmosphere . " The shareholders who travel


by it will be so heartily sick , what with the


foul air , smoke and sulphur , that the mention


of a railway will be worse than Ipecacuanha , "


wrote an anti-railway industrialist when it was


proposed to build the Box Tunnel .


The mere thought of subterranean travel


gave others a feeling of danger . A medical journal


said , " the deafening peal of thunder , the sudden


immersion in gloom , and the clash of reverberated


sounds in a confined space combine to produce a


momentary shudder , or idea of destruction , a thrill


of annihilation . " It was also prophesied that


passengers would be robbed and assaulted in the


darkness .


For all that , as far as England is concerned ,


there have been only two occasions on


which a body has been found in a tunnel


in circumstances pointing to murder .


The first was that of Mr Gold , in the famous


Lefroy case , and by an odd chance the second tragedy


occurred on the same line , although this time the


victim was a woman .


Though in the minds of most people there was


no doubt that the woman had been the victim


of foul play , the verdict brought in was that there


was not sufficient evidence to show whether


she had fallen or been thrown from a train .


The Merstham Tunnel , on the London-to-


Brighton line , is approximately one mile long ,


and some time before midnight on September


24 , 1905 , a Sunday , Sub-Inspector Peacock , of


the London , Brighton and South Coast Railway ,


It was the battered and broken body of a woman .


He sent word straight away to near-by Merstham


Station , and a stretcher party took the body to


the Feathers Hotel to await identification .


Was it a case of suicide , where some unhappy soul


had walked deliberately into the blackness and


into the path of some train ? This hardly seemed


likely , since , when she was examined by a local


doctor , the woman , young , small , and rather plump ,


was found to have her own silk scarf drawn


almost tight enough to strangle her , and the ends


thrust in her mouth like a gag .


Both her wrists bore the marks of severe bruising ,


and there were other injuries on her body which had


occurred before her death was ensured by some


train which had roared through the tunnel . There were


no letters or papers found on her to assist identi


fication , no money , and no railway ticket . By then


reports were being gathered about all traffic over


this stretch of line , but no information was


forthcoming about any carriage with an open


door , nor any passenger reporting an incident


which might relate .


So the body of this small girl with the blue eyes and


long brown hair in a bun at the back of her head


remained a mystery until later the following day .


During that time a description of the girl was


circulated , and a Mr Robert Money came forward to


identify her as his sister , Mary Money , aged twenty-two .


The girl , who was described as being " always bright and


jolly , " had been unmarried , and lived at Lavender Hill ,


Clapham , on the premises of a dairyman , Bridger , for


whom she worked as a book-keeper .


On the Sunday , the day of her death , she had gone out in the


evening at about seven o'clock , telling her room-mate , Emma


Hone , that she was going for a walk , but would not be


gone for long . According to Miss Hone , she had not been


carrying a handbag , but she believed she had had a small


purse .


At Clapham Junction a ticket-collector


was able to identify a photograph of the


girl , and he said he had last seen her


on platform six waiting to board


a train for the short run to Victoria .


A passenger at Victoria said he had seen


a young lady " as near as possible "


like the photograph shown him , with


a man " very close in conversation and


walking arm in arm . "


A guard reported that at East Croydon


he had seen what was accepted as the


same couple sitting close together in


a first-class compartment of the


train from London Bridge of which


he was in charge . The two could


have joined this train by taking


one from Victoria and changing


at East Croydon . He also believed


that they had still been together at


South Croydon , and he remembered


Medical evidence established that Mary


Money had been dead for about an


hour before her body was discovered ,


and this matched reasonably well with


the timetable of the train in question .


More important evidence came from a


signalman at Purley Oaks , who had


seen , as the train passed his box , a


couple struggling in a first-class


compartment ; but he seemed to have


been used to seeing couples engaged in


SOME years ago a contemporary philosopher


told us that there was nothing an En-


glishman would not do ; nothing an Ame-


rican would not say ; nothing an


Italian would not sing ; no music


to which the Frenchman would not


dance ; nothing the German would


not covet ; and nothing the Chinese


would not eat .


told us that there was nothing an Englishman


would not do ; nothing an American would not


say ; nothing an Italian would not sing ; no


music to which the Frenchman would not dance ;


nothing the German would not covet ; and


nothing the Chinese would not eat .


It is not our purpose to discuss this dictum .


Suffice to say that few of us stop to marvel at


the progress of civilisation which allows a dish


borrowed straight from the prehistoric . How


many centuries ago , in some cave or hilly


hide , did our forebears home from the chase


hold forth from a spear the welcome gobbet of


meat or fish burnt and roasted in the


homely and protecting flame .


How many centuries later did the mercenary in


the Roman wars thus impale on pike or lance his


evening meal . Later came the thrifty peasant ,


later still the young Victorian buck adventuring


in Paris , and even later our attractive young


ladies toying with these primitive morsels in the


gleam and glitter of our latter-day restaurants .


And , if certain dishes and modes of food have


persisted down the ages , the motive that preserved


them has always been the same . Apart from the need


for nourishment , the instinct of hospitality has


always been strong in mankind . The sharing of


a meal in those earliest dangerous days was an


admittance into an acquaintanceship far more


important than the casual meetings of the present


day ; the desire to share something more intimate


than mere converse has always been there .


The truth is that good food offers a


programme of entertainment almost


unlimited in its variety and its presen-


tation affords an opportunity of


showing a guest something of ourselves .


It is a far enough cry from the primitive


meal-times of a simpler world to the


banquets of later days , when the table


groaned under its load of complicated


dishes , and for all the blossoming of the


arts around them the diners were little


There was always the spice of an orgy


in those Roman feasts , for instance , with


all their peacocks and nightingales'


tongues ; unreasonable surfeit , too , in the


elaborate fashion of eating brought


out of Italy into France , we are told ,


by Catherine de Medici . The peasant in


those days , as ever , ate sparingly , but


generously enough in his own fashion ,


save at feast times , when he , too , let


himself go ; and it was from his simpler


Epicures and gourmands , sated by the unending


procession of dishes from those mammoth kitchens


of the 18th century - that amazing epoch of


grossness and delicacy - sought inspiration at last from


the dishes of the country , and , instead of gorging the


eye with magnitude , began to understand the value of


intelligent selection and comparative simplicity , though


nowadays their simplified meals would seem quite


monstrous .


Epicures and gourmands , sated by the


unending procession of dishes from those


mammoth kitchens of the 18th century -


that amazing epoch of grossness and


delicacy - sought inspiration at last from


the dishes of the country , and , instead


of gorging the eye with magnitude ,


began to understand the value of


intelligent selection and comparative


simplicity , though nowadays their


simplified meals would seem quite


Does one , however , know who first thought of boiling


water and food ? The ancient Britons , I believe , used to


make water hot by dropping a red-hot poker into it ,


because their pots would not stand fire ; but Jacob


must have had one that would , because Esau sold


his birthright to him for a mess of pottage - and


then we hear of the fleshpots of Egypt after


which the Israelites sighed .


Does one , however , know who first thought


of boiling water and food ? The ancient


Britons , I believe , used to make water hot


by dropping a red-hot poker into it ,


because their pots would not stand fire ;


but Jacob must have had one that


would , because Esau sold his birthright


to him for a mess of pottage - and then


we hear of the fleshpots of Egypt


after which the Israelites sighed .


Anyhow , Homer does not seem to have known any


way of cooking meat except by roasting and boiling .


When Achilles gave a royal feast the principal dish


was a grill , which he cooked himself , and he knew


how to do it , too : - When the languid flames at


length subside , He throws a bed of glowing


embers wide ; Above the coals the smoking


fragment turns , And sprinkles sacred salt from


lifted urns


Anyhow , Homer does not seem to have


known any way of cooking meat


except by roasting and boiling . When


Achilles gave a royal feast the principal


dish was a grill , which he cooked himself ,


and he knew how to do it , too : - When the


languid flames at length subside , He


throws a bed of glowing embers wide ;


Above the coals the smoking fragment


turns , And sprinkles sacred salt


from lifted urns .


When , however , the Greeks did learn the art of making


fireproof earthenware from the Egyptians , their cookery


made rapid progress , because they were men of taste


and intellect . A remarkable peculiarity in the banquets


of the ancient world was the fact that they did not


confine the resources of the table to the gratification


of one sense alone . Having exhausted their invention


in the preparation of stimulants for the palate ,


they broke fresh ground and called another sense


to their aid .


When , however , the Greeks did learn the


art of making fireproof earthenware from


the Egyptians , their cookery made rapid


progress , because they were men of taste


and intellect . A remarkable peculiarity in


the banquets of the ancient world was the


fact that they did not confine the resources


of the table to the gratification of one


sense alone . Having exhausted their invention


in the preparation of stimulants for the


palate , they broke fresh ground and called


another sense to their aid .


By delicate application of odours and richly-distilled


perfumes , these refined voluptuaries aroused the


fainting appetite and added a more exquisite and


ethereal enjoyment to the grosser pleasures of the


board . The gratification of the sense of smelling


was a subject of no little importance to the Romans .


They considered flowers as forming a very essential


article in their festal preparations ; and it is the


opinion of Bassius that at their desserts the


number of flowers far exceeded the number


of fruits .


By delicate application of odours and richly-


distilled perfumes , these refined voluptuaries


aroused the fainting appetite and added a


more exquisite and ethereal enjoyment to


the grosser pleasures of the board . The grati-


fication of the sense of smelling was a


subject of no little importance to the Romans .


They considered flowers as forming a very


essential article in their festal preparations ;


and it is the opinion of Bassius that


at their desserts the number of flowers


far exceeded the number of fruits .


When Nero supped in # his Golden House ,


a mingled shower of flowers and odorous


essences fell upon him ; and one of the


recreations of Heliogabalus was to


smother his courtiers with flowers . Nor was


it entirely as an object of luxury that the


ancients made use of flowers ; they were


considered to possess sanative and


medicinal qualities .


According to Pliny , and others , certain herbs


and flowers proved of sovereign power


clarifying the functions of the brain . It


is said that there is nothing new under


the sun , but regarding foodstuffs the


traveller occasionally encounters a certain


measure of novelty .


According to Pliny , and others , certain


herbs and flowers proved of sovereign


power in preventing the approaches of


ebriety , or , as Bassius less clearly


expresses it , in clarifying the functions


of the brain . It is said that there is


nothing new under the sun , but regarding


foodstuffs the traveller occasionally


encounters a certain measure of novelty .


In China , for instance , dried rats are esteemed


a delicacy . The visitor is told that


they restore the hair of the bald and that


a stewed black rat will ward off a fever .


A number of newly-born white mice served


alive , dipped in treacle and swallowed


like a prairie oyster is considered a


piece of resistance .


In China , for instance , dried rats are


esteemed a delicacy . The visitor is told


that they restore the hair of the bald


and that a stewed black rat will ward


off a fever . A number of newly-born


white mice served alive , dipped in treacle


and swallowed like a prairie oyster is


considered a piece of resistance .


Among the natives of Northern Australia lizards


roasted on the point of a spear are


definitely a delicacy while Mediterranean


peoples have a high opinion of the octopus


as an article of diet . So have the Japanese


and the Chinese . The Celestials , apart


from eating it fresh , squash it , press


it and dry it , in which form , dusted


over with flour , you will find a stack


of it in almost any provision shop .


roasted on the point of a spear are definitely


a delicacy while Mediterranean peoples have a


high opinion of the octopus as an article of diet .


So have the Japanese and the Chinese . The


Celestials , apart from eating it fresh , squash


it , press it and dry it , in which form , dusted


over with flour , you will find a stack of it


in almost any provision shop .


Foodlore reflects much more of national temperament


than is customarily imagined as well as entering human


activities to a greater extent than is usually assumed .


We naturally cannot overlook that Magyar cookery owes


one of its most classic features to the Turkish rule under


which the Hungarians groaned for nearly 200 years .


If that country had not been for so long a battlefield red


with the blood shed to defend Christian civilisation ,


Hungary would have been deprived of the condiment which


provides many Magyar dishes with a vivid and brilliant


The Austrian cuisine embraces the delectable 6Wiener


Schnitzel as well as dishes and stews heightened with


aromatics where the paprika insinuates its perfidious


fire , aerian creams , ingenious pastries and a


crescent-shaped breakfast roll created by a pastry cook to


celebrate the victory against the Turks in 1683 . Spanish


cookery is reminiscent of bull-fights , of Spanish dancing


and of Goja : it is vivid , highly coloured , sometimes


Quixotic and withal it has a sombre ardour , with


streaks of poetry , meat disguised under heavy and vehement


The Czechoslovak kitchen , again , is


so languorous , so passionate , and


possibly comparable alone to a gypsy


melody . The paprika and caraway perfume


the meats with their antithesis . The


opulent varieties of Czechoslovak past-


ries recall in fact the rich heritage


of rich embroideries and costumes


specifically national . The art and


science of cookery , however , is


essentially French , and , irrespective of


The French have an inborn appreciation


of good food and the gusto which they


derive from gastronomy is intellectual


and aesthetic as well as physical .


There is the same finesse about their


feeding , the same subtle delicacy of


touch , the same unfailing sense of


proportion as exists among her


writers , music composers and other


exponents of things that are


typically French .


Wagner was a highly practical feeder . He ate very fast ,


placing his food in his mouth and gulping it down as


he talked . Brigham Young would make a dinner on tripe


which he washed down with beer . A writer who had dinner


with Dickens says the menu was Whitstable oysters , a brown


sole , a baked leg of mutton with oyster & veal stuffing and a


gin punch .


The French have an inborn appreciation of good food and


the gusto which they derive from gastronomy is intellectual


and aesthetic as well as physical . There is the same finesse


about their feeding , the same subtle delicacy of touch ,


the same unfailing sense of proportion as exists among


her writers , music composers and other exponents of


things that are typically French .


The " pot-au-feu " is as much a national


institution in France as is tea drinking


among ourselves and it is prepared at


least once a week in every bourgeois


household . Thackeray , of course ,


waxed enthusiastic about Bouilla-


baisse and sang - This Bouillabaisse


a noble dish is , A sort of soup , or


broth , or brew , A hotch-potch of all


sorts of fishes That Greenwich never


could outdo ; Green herbs , red peppers ,


The " pot-au-feu " is as much a national institution


in France as is tea drinking among ourselves and it is


prepared at least once a week in every bourgeois


household . Thackeray , of course , waxed enthusiastic


about Bouillabaisse and sang - This Bouillabaisse a


noble dish is , A sort of soup , or broth , or brew ,


A hotch-potch of all sorts of fishes That Greenwich


never could outdo ; Green herbs , red peppers , mussels ,


saffron , Soles , onions , garlic , roach and dace .


A fascinating study also opens up in


the dietary welcomed by men of genius


as well as the foods for which they have


had an aversion . Shelley , for example ,


had a great contempt for animal


food , believing that it impaired the


intellectual faculties . Bunyan's break-


fast and supper consisted of a


piece of coarse bread and a


bowl of milk .


A fascinating study also opens up in the dietary


welcomed by men of genius as well as the foods for


which they have had an aversion . Shelley , for example ,


had a great contempt for animal food , believing that


it # impaired the intellectual faculties . Bunyan's


breakfast and supper consisted of a piece of coarse bread


and a bowl of milk .


Dante Gabriel Rossetti had simple tastes


in food . At one dinner he is said to have


been blind to the charms of turbot and


to have been much more interested


in the dish in which it was served . He


turned it over on the table cloth to


examine the marks on the back


without going through the formality


of having his turbot removed first .


Dante Gabriel Rossetti had simple tastes in food . At one


dinner he is said to have been blind to the charms of


turbot and to have been much more interested in the


dish in which it was served . He turned # it over


on the table cloth to examine the marks on the back


without going through the formality of having his turbot


removed first .


THE SAME MAN WENT TO SEE CARLYLE , AND ,


AFTER MENTIONING THAT HE HAD DINED WITH


LONGFELLOW TOLD THE SAGE A VERY


FUNNY STORY WHICH MADE CARLYLE


ABSOLUTELY LAUGH ; BUT ALL THE


CHELSEA PHILOSOPHER DID IN RETURN


WAS TO ASK IF HIS GUEST WOULD


HAVE A CUP OF TEA !


The same man went to see Carlyle , and , after mentioning


that he had dined with Longfellow told the sage a


very funny story which made Carlyle absolutely laugh ;


but all the Chelsea philosopher did in return was to


ask if his guest would have a cup of tea !


A Scottish knight - Sir John Mercer - was


imprisoned in England . His son , in revenge , was


harrying English shipping as far away as Cherbourg ,


and doing it to some purpose . John Philpot ,


one of that new class of merchant financiers


which the city of London was now producing , fitted ,


equipped and manned a fleet from his own


resources , and captured the young Mercer in a


brilliant Channel fight .


It was naturally a highly popular victory with the


Londoners , but it brought heavy censure from nobles


who still believed that they had a monopoly of


leadership . But , at last , Gaunt sailed . Opposing


him was the French Admiral , Jean de Vienne -


a great sailor and an able strategist .


Obedient to the policy of his King , de Vienne avoided


trouble at sea as cleverly as Du Guesclin avoided it


on land . Gaunt was compelled to give up his search for


an elusive foe , and , afraid to return home without


something to show , he foolishly attempted to besiege


the well-protected fortress of St Malo . This


involved the dreary method of mining operations in


which Gaunt , under the Black Prince , had shown


considerable skill at the siege of Limoges .


When all seemed to be going well , a sortie surprised


moment had charge of the mine ; the mine collapsed


fame and glory . Gaunt was compelled to return


even despised failure . The ' ribald ' Londoners , who


Hawley , were also expressing their disappointment


comparing the failure of a subsidized duke


citizen .


These dreary years of ineffective fighting provide


obvious morals for those who are judges long


after the event . It seems obvious that , though


the longbows of yeomen could pierce the


plate and mail of French knights , a brilliant


battle was no substitute for a sound policy ,


and that , if archers had no target , campaigns


became mere marauding route marches .


It seems obvious that if an expedition to


Brittany was compelled to attack via Calais ,


then the primary essential to the success


of the French war was a navy in unquestioned


command of the Channel . It seems obvious


that divided forces were dissipating the


advantages of a ring of bridge-heads which included


Calais , Cherbourg , Brest , Bordeaux and Bayonne ,


and that there was no hope of final victory


without a large-scale and concentrated invasion .


BUT NONE OF THESE DEDUCTIONS WERE


DRAWN AT THE TIME , BECAUSE LARGE-


SCALE WAR REQUIRED MONEY , AND


THE CITIZENS WHO HAD THE MONEY


WERE NOT YET SUFFICIENTLY AT


ONE WITH NOBLES AND KING TO THINK


THEIR MONEY WELL SPENT IN FIN-


ANCING A RULING CLASS WHICH


DESPISED THEM . THE COMMONS WERE


GLAD ENOUGH TO ENJOY THE FRUITS


In this cruel process which was


hammering out nations on the anvils of


war , there was a constant stirring of


those in authority to find some simple


way out of the complicated financial


6impasse which always resulted , and in the


story of the experiments and expedients


to which the Exchequer resorted is


the story of the prelude to the


Peasants' Revolt of 1381 .


In appreciating this story , modern con-


ceptions of governmental duties must be


set aside . A modern government needs


taxation not merely for defence and


offence but for a very wide range of


social services . A mediaeval oligarchy


needed taxation in order to supplement


the private wealth of the monarchy


( the royal income from the revenues of


crown lands , the fees of feudalism


Social service as a function of government


was quite alien to mediaeval thought - its


substitute was the mutual self-help of


communities , whether those communities were


monasteries , manors , townships , or wards and


guilds of a city . A mediaeval tax was


therefore in essence a forced payment whose


return was the uncertain bounty of booty


and the vague advantages of military glory ;


it was therefore always granted grudgingly


and coupled with the vain hope that , in the


When ' his ' war did not bring victory and


booty , a new group of Lords might oust


the unsuccessful leaders , and the Commons ,


who usually supplied the hard cash , might


be bold enough to demand the production of


accounts , and even at times the impeachment of


the unsuccessful . But the Commons were not


the people , and even a full Parliament was


not yet a true mirror of the nation .


The people - Langland's ' folk ' and Gaunt's


' knaves ' - were villeins still tied to the


feudal obligations of work or villeins who


had bought their release , free labourers


who worked for the highest bidders , free


yeomen who had prospered enough to become


successful farmers , the artisans , craftsmen ,


journeymen and small tradesmen of the


towns , and the retainers and men-at-arms


in the pay of landed Lords .


None of these classes , except the yeomen , paid or


expected to pay direct taxes . During the four-


teenth century , the traditional methods of


financing the Exchequer had become stabilized .


When the King and his Council required additio-


nal funds , they were usually granted an


export tax on the wool trade , collected by


means of that ' staple ' system which ensured that


prices , quality and tax could be efficiently su-


pervised and controlled , together with a


There were two other sources of public revenue -


first , the Church , which wisely followed the lead


of the Commons and in its own Convocations


granted equivalent contributions , and second ,


the foreign merchants , with whom the King's


officials had formerly made private bargains


at ' colloquies of merchants ' , and whose


payments were now authorized by parliamentary


sanction at a rate roughly fifty per cent in


excess of the rate for native merchants .


In addition to these revenues , the King had the


financial benefits of his position at the head


of the feudal system , as its chief landowner


and the recipient of the fines of royal justice .


It was , therefore , a complicated and not very


satisfactory financial system in which the


borders between private and public purse were


as ill-defined as the borders between private


and national war , and in which the comparati-


vely simple obligations of the feudal pyramid


But this time there was a very interesting


attempt to apply a sliding scale to the


payments demanded . The definition of an


adult was altered to read ' over sixteen ' ,


and , where the poorest were to pay a groat ,


the Duke of Lancaster and the Archbishops


of Canterbury and York were to pay ten marks ,


and between these two extremes a graduated


scale of payments was fixed for the


different classes of laymen and clerics .


Again the resentment was widespread and


the results disappointing - a tax estimated


to yield 50,000 in fact raised only 27,000 .


In the following year , 1380 , the last and


most notorious third poll-tax was agreed


by a Parliament which met at Northampton .


There were dark reasons for a meeting so


far away from the capital in a town with


poor communications and not over supplied


with hostelries and lodgings .


London was again in turmoil ; but this time


over a question of trade rivalry . A rich mer-


chant from Genoa had been murdered , and


John de Kyrkby , a Londoner , was one of


those charged with the crime . It is clear


from the chronicles that this was a sordid


quarrel between monopolists and interlopers .


The city merchants were jealous of foreign


merchants who could tempt court and


baronage with rarer luxuries than those


A sum of 160,000 was demanded - a staggering figure


to mediaeval eyes . It was determined that 100,000


was a fairer target , and the Parliament agreed to find


two-thirds of this sum providing the clergy supplied


the remainder . The method of assessment to which the


Commons agreed was that of the first poll-tax . The manifest


injustice of this method had been to a certain degree


corrected by the sliding scale of the second poll-tax ,


but this lesson was ignored , and the injustice trebled in


weight by a flat-rate tax at treble the rate - every adult


had to pay three groats , but this time an adult was re-


Trebling the rate was arrived at by a simple


arithmetic which argued that , as the first


poll-tax had supplied 22,000 , a tax of


three times the rate would produce 66,000 .


The only concession made in view of the


objections to the first two poll-taxes was


the suggestion that the rich should help


the poor - but this was only a pious hope


because no machinery was provided for


carrying it into effect , and a subordinate


In Chapter Two he gauged the nature of the heart's movements


from the dissection of living animals , showing how these move-


ments alternate with rests and are seen best in cold animals


or in flagging warmer ones . At the time of its movement


the heart becomes generally constricted , its walls thicken ,


its ventricles decrease in volume and it expels its


content of blood , appearing paler in so doing in animals


such as serpents , frogs , and the like .


At one and the same time , therefore , occur the beat


of the apex , the thickening of the heart walls , and


the forcible expulsion of their contained blood by the


contraction of the ventricles . Going on in Chapter Three


to the movement of the arteries , likewise gauged from


the dissections of living animals , Harvey noted that


contraction of the heart and the apex beat occur in


systole , simultaneously with dilatation of the arteries


and of the artery-like vein , and expulsion of the


ventricular content .


Arterial pulsation disappears with cessation of


ventricular contraction . During cutting or puncture of


the ventricles , there is often forcible expulsion


of blood from the wound . Arterial diastole is


thus synchronous with cardiac systole but ,


when movement of blood through arteries is


hindered by compression , infarction or inter-


ception , the more distal arteries pulsate


less because their pulse is nothing other


than the impulse of the blood entering them .


' And while the heart is slowly dying ,


one can sometimes see it - so to speak


- rouse itself and , in reply to two or


three auricular beats , produce a single


ventricular one slowly and


reluctantly and with an effort . '


Sentence Database


Yet in spite of the fact that his ideas did his


business no good George would never conceal them .


He was a socialist and believed in the right


of the working class to control their own destiny , and


said so . Being a craftsman and a skilled man ,


George won many prizes , and though some people


would have nothing to do with him , others


would , and the comrades helped in many


ways .


When eventually the ovens were fixed at the new shop , the tremen-


dously hard work was if anything intensified . George used to


mix 100 stone of bread in 12 hours , and Kate served in the


shop , which was open from 8 o'clock in the morning to


12 o'clock at night . At that time pastries and buns


were sold at 32 pieces for one shilling .


( In this strike , as reported in the Sheffield


Guardian in March of that year , 1,000,000


men were out a fortnight , disciplined and solid ,


when only 20 per cent of them stood to gain


anything from the strike and the other 80 per


cent made sacrifices for their fellow men ;


this remarkable strike raised the question of a


living wage and showed the worth of the


common man . )


Soon they were good enough to sing at meetings .


One of the helpful by-products was that


they were able to obtain some respectable


clothing , with which they wore a white tie


and Red Flag badge , thus presenting a much


better appearance . Later , on many a sunny Sunday


evening , when George went to speak at Malin Bridge ,


they would be there to begin the meeting .


As they became known the Choir went to working-


men's clubs , to Conisborough on cheap trips to


sing to the miners , and sang for other organisations such


as the Bakers' Union , for whom they went on Satur-


day evenings to the Corner Pin Hotel , to rally


the members . The B.S.P. also rented pleasant rooms


on West Street , where a successful Sunday


school was held .


One of the students was young


George , and another the dark-haired


little granddaughter of Charlie Grant .


George often spoke at the Sunday school .


He christened the babies . Also , when


called upon to do so , he would officiate


at funerals . Religion was one of his pet


subjects , for being well acquainted


with the Bible , which he had


read in prison where it was the


only book they were allowed ,


Although his ideas were diametrically opposed


to those of parsons he got on wonderfully well


with them , particularly those who , like the Rev.


Conrad Noel , the eloquent leader of


the Church Socialist League , genuinely advocated


socialism . With such men , who had the


courage of their convictions and their


Christianity , common ground could be found .


There was no abatement in political


work . The British Socialist Party endea-


voured to get more socialist members sent to the


Council , and to Parliament , being deter-


mined and obdurate in their attitude that


their candidate must go forward in the


elections . In the Sheffield Trades and Labour


Council meeting on October 16 , 1912 , George


had said , ' Mr. Barton would go to the poll .


Just as the Labour Party had fought the


Liberals , they were going to fight the Labour


This new party , the British Socialist Party , was


not prepared to accept the role of junior helper


in the Labour movement , or of only providing


propaganda in order to increase the volume of


socialist thought in the city , but sought to create


in the Labour movement a more militant attitude


capable of achieving socialism for the working


people .


Alf Barton , who in 1911 was presented


with a book on the life of Marx ,


and a gold purse in recognition of his


work for the movement , was later


known to say that it was not ne-


cessary to understand Marxism in order to


understand socialism , though at this time


he was a keen member of the B.S.P. .


Dr. Davidson said he would go for


a walk over the fields while we attended


to our business . To my amusement ,


when we met at tea at the rectory


after the Dedication , the Archbishop


said he had been stopped by


a farmer in a field . He seemed


rather indignant , but we took the


episode without a smile till afterwards .


The Hall proved most useful , especially in winter


when the distance to the church deterred many from


coming to Sunday Evensong . We managed to furnish


a table with cross and candles , and the people


appreciated the Church Hall for worship as well


as for more secular purposes . In 1910 Dr. Talbot


was translated to Winchester , and Dr. Hubert


Burge became Bishop of Southwark .


Meanwhile I had been asked to do a bit of Diocesan


work in connection with Higher Religious Education , and


to become the Southwark Secretary of the Church Reading


Union . This meant organizing lectures and courses of


religious instruction through the Diocese , and I


also found myself a member of the Diocesan


Conference , where I remember introducing myself as


the incumbent of the highest church in the


Diocese .


There was a somewhat shocked atmosphere in


some quarters , until I explained that my church


was 800 feet high above the sea level ! The


work was growing pretty heavy , and we managed


to get a stipendiary layman who could help


among the children and young people .


It was while I was at Tatsfield that I first visited Oberammergau


in Bavaria to witness the Passion Play . The place and its people were


to play an important part in my life . For five years in succession till


war broke out in 1914 , I spent my summer holidays there and became


very intimate with the people and the environs . Every year between the


Passion Plays , an interval of ten years , another play would be


performed at the small theatre in the village , when new talent would


be discovered and trained .


After the First World War , 1914 , I did not visit


Germany for ten years , by which time in


1924 I was in a different parish in Surrey .


Towards the end of my five and a half years'


incumbency I was asked if I would start


a village choral society and conduct it .


This opened up a new interest , and we plunged


into it .


First of all simple part-songs : I found only one member who had


any idea of reading music . This was the village doctor who was an


old school friend at Clifton . He could sustain the tenor part quite well


and lead the others . As for basses and altos the conductor had to


teach by singing the parts with them . It was very amusing , and by


the end of a few months an enthusiastic choir of men and women


could render simple part-singing tolerably well .


Then we went to work on Coleridge Taylor's ' Hiawatha's


Wedding Feast . ' Enthusiasm grew , and in a few more months we


gave a concert at which the accompanist was the village schoolmaster ,


and the tenor solo ' Onaway awake ' was sung by the Rector .


Friends from Limpsfield , in addition to the villagers , came up ,


and we were all happy .


IN 1913 Dr. Burge , Bishop of Southwark , asked me to go as