Diary 1887 - March
1 Tuesday
Had a football practice, the X1 for Thursday v. all others. We do not play masters on Thursday. ½ year’s interest on £100 due : £2.
2 Wednesday Arthur paid me £2 int. Paid 5/- of it for Gymnasium Subscription & kept 5 shillings for pocket money. Put the rest in Bank on Saturday.
3 Thursday Went to Whitchurch by brake to play Newbury Gram. Sch. We beat them 13 goals to nil. 18 of us went. I, Bayley & Lear had an awful spree after we had changed. Got back about ½ past seven. Made an awful noise coming back, singing & blowing horns
Brake: horse-drawn carriage
4 Friday Went out for a bicycle ride with Smith & Cosens. Had a jolly ride through Basing. I hired mine at Watson’s. My first ride this year.
5 Saturday Played full back for the town against Basing. A very good game. We beat them 2 to nil. Arthur played and we drove there in the wagonette & took Gray, Hindle & Chadwick. Put £3 into Savings Bank, £1.00 of Papa’s interest. The rest from the New Zealand.
Wagonette: light four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle with two lengthwise seats for passengers.
6 Sunday Went to Uncle Richard’s to supper. 2 burglars broke into a house here & also into Hook Church. They were both caught & committed for trail. There were 2 others caught and committed for trial last week, the people are getting rather frightened.
Richard Knight was a magistrate. Perhaps he was the source of this news.
8 Tuesday Had a practice, the X1 for Thursday against all others.
9 Wednesday Bought a jolly silver mounted pipe at Webb’s, 2/3.
10 Thursday Went to Alton by brake to play Ackender Sch. We beat them 8 goals to 2. One goal kicked by my corner. Both X1’s had a splendid tea at some Cafe. Went for a ramble across country with some of the Alton fellows. Got back at ½ past 8, very noisy.
11 Friday Went up to School after tea on the bicycle, the first time I had used it this year. It went very well.
12 Saturday Played Caversham Sch. on the Common. We beat them 5 goals to nil; one of which was disputed. I kicked the first goal, a long shot. I was playing full back. It snowed part of the time. Chadwick didn’t give them tea
Hopefully there was no connection between no tea for the opposing team and the disputed goal!
15 Tuesday Heavy snow all day. We were unable to play football all week on account of the snow. Had rehearsals up at School every day
16 Wednesday Bought a 6d eyeglass at Willis’s to wear in the farce “Who’s who.”
17 Thursday Eleven fellows out of 17 passed the Cambridge Local. Caldecott ma(jor) passed the senior. Lear passed the junior. No one got honours. Chadwick was awfully waxy about it. I did not go in this time. I have passed the Junior 3 times, once with 3rd class honours.
19 Saturday Had a rehearsal of “Take that girl away” at the Drill Hall. Goldman coached us. From 4 till 6 p.m.
22 March Played Whitchurch Town on the Common. Beat them 7 to nil
24 Thursday
Had a football practice at School. Arthur came up.
25 March
I now have £41.18.5 in the Savings Bank which has been accumulating since 1872 at Compound Interest. Also £100 - legacy from Mr J Bristow - invested in my father’s business paying 4 % per annum.
Due ½ yearly on March 1st & September 1st. This was paid away for premium on Dec 14th .
This last sentence was clearly added later and refers to an entry on 14 December when he records his father paid a 100 guineas “premium” in respect of his pupilship at Mr Daniell’s brewery
Also £206 - legacy from Mr J Butler - invested in the New Zealand Inscribed paying 4% per annum due half yearly on May 1st & November 1st. Less property tax 8p per £1. This was altered to 7p after May 1st. NB It was £200 Mr Butler left me, but I receive Int on £206, as I suppose they were bought at 103. This day’s entry is written on a Memoranda sheet at the end of the diary
26 Saturday
Arthur went up to London to see the boat race. Cambridge won by 3 lengths. Oxford broke an oar. I won a shilling on a bet with R Bayley. Had a rehearsal at Drill Hall with Goldman.
28 Monday
Had a rehearsal of both plays in the Drill Hall from 2 till 6. Had a letter from S Dunn. Began doing dumb bell exercise before breakfast.
29 Tuesday
Went to Whitchurch by train to play the town. They had a much better team than before. Turle & Nunn played for them, had a talk with them about the School. We beat them 1 to nil, a very good game. Had a fine spree after we had changed.
30 Wednesday
Had a delightful letter from Reg. Angelsmith.
31 Thursday Played Newbury Gram. Sch. on the Common. We let them play masters but we did not. We beat them 6 goals to one. This is the last match arranged. Arthur came home from London





