Dimming of the Day

36 Opening Moves a delegation to meet the King at Buckingham Palace – and that if Mrs Pankhurst was to lead the delegation, the police would re-arrest her under the “Cat and Mouse” Act. On the following day Mrs Pankhurst, along with others, was indeed arrested for taking part in what The Times called ‘a suffragist riot’ outside Buckingham Palace. The Manchester Guardian reported that 1,500 police were on duty and that only one of the protesters managed to get as far as the main gates, where she was arrested. Then: ‘A huge Inspector plucked Mrs Pankhurst out of the struggling group and ran away with her in his arms into the clear space in front of the Palace’. Then on 23 May it was reported that the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection had been closed until further notice because of attacks by suffragists. There had also been “uproar” at a theatrical performance attended by the King and Queen. Later in the month The Times also reported “suffragist brawling at St Paul’s” when a woman tried to mount the pulpit and address the congregation. The WSPU’s low-level terrorism – always aimed at property not people – was highly successful in calling attention to their grievances but did not appear to win them support or to bring the prospect of women’s suffrage any closer. On the cricket field Philip Mead scored 213 for Hampshire against Yorkshire. His main support was from an innings of 76 by Lieutenant G.C.Harrison, an Old Etonian and another of Hampshire’s endless supply of military men with a bit of time on their hands. Gerald Harrison played briefly after the war, but his first-class career was over by 1920. Somerset v Surrey at Bath moved at some speed and by the end of the first day Somerset had made 77 and 104-8, Surrey 104. For some reason lost in the mists of time Hobbs (always “John” rather than Jack to World of Cricket ) opened the bowling in Somerset’s first innings but was not a wicket-taker. Somerset lost the match but used only two bowlers, the young “Farmer” White and Ernie Robson. W.J.Abel’s 34 was the highest score of the match. On 21 May in a two-day match at Lord’s, MCC and Ground scored 538- 6 declared (J.W.Hearne, having a rest from first-class cricket, 228) and bowled the Minor Counties out for 146: not bad for a day’s play. Hampshire’s hopes of beating Yorkshire were foiled by a partnership of 312 by Denton and Hirst, a new fourth-wicket record for the county. On Monday 25 May the front page of The Times carried a full page advertisement for Rhodesia the Land of Sunshine . Not to be outdone, Vickers Ltd took the whole of page 8, proclaiming that they could design, build, engine and arm all kinds of warships. This was a 48-page edition, most of it devoted to the Empire (with ample space given to articles about the major advertisers). It was reported from Vienna that the Emperor Francis Joseph was now recovering after eight weeks of catarrh and bronchitis. There was a big first-wicket partnership for Middlesex on 23 May. “Good