January
The Year of the Exhibition dawns at last; rather stormily, & with unnatural weather for this season, warm and even sultry, with winds which do not freshen the air.
This morning letter from William Bellerby saying he can copy me a daguerreotype portrait; he is very busy working for the exhibition; will send me something where-with to repair my casts.
Very violent storm of Hail this morning;- wonder how the Great Glass House stood it; it is to be opened by the Queen in State on Thursday.
February
Got also the official Catalogue of the Exhibition
Wrote to William Dewse this afternoon as to his coming here & when, & if he goes to the Exhibition or not;
March
we went to see Messr. Chamberlain's beautiful exhibition of China, especially of that destined for the Industrial Exhibition; the general treatment & execution of flower pieces & designs of pattern & shape were exquisite, but those of the human figure were all very faulty, being too raw in colour & bad in anatomy, with the exception of those done by the late Mr. Chamberlain which were equally as good. An Adam & Eve was beautiful.24
I told Mr. Needham today that I should wish to see the Exhibition & he gives me full permission to go whenever I choose.
Jones down, looking books over & telling of Exhibition.
On Thursday Mr. Needham fixed my going to the Exhibition for Saturday evg the 25th, wish I had known earlier, would have been better prepared to stand the expense, than I shall now be.
June
Letter from Father this morning, saying I must go home before I go to the Exhibition & spend a week there out of my ten days
Wrote to Father in reply to his last, said I could not think of coming to York before I went to the Exhibition, or I should never to see it at all, for I shall tire of the Exhibition in a few days, but of home I can never hope to tire, & should remain there until my time for returning to Worcester was expired.
At Garden this morning early; letter from Father still urging me to come to York before going to the Exhibition; I must be firm in refusing the temptation & be resolved to go direct to London;
came back & wrote long letter to Father saying my plan to go to the Exhibition & hoping that he & Mother or one of them will meet me at Derby;
Wrote in the evening to Uncle Clepham to know if he would go to the Exhibition with us.
Letter on Monday from Ned Thackray who wants to go with me to the Exhibition, but as he will lodge out at Camberwell with some friends we should be hindrances to each other;
Letter this morning from Uncle Clepham saying he is building the Stocktonians a new Town Hall which requires his daily attention & superintendance & he cannot therefore go to London with me.
Wrote to Charley Cox on Friday to know if he can lend me the £5 to go to the Exhibition with; & I today asked Mr. Needham the same question when he said at once- yes; so I shall have enough to carry me there.
July
Wrote yesterday to Charley Cox fearing my letter applying for loan or his reply to it may have gone astray, but this morning I have letter from him enclosing me note for £5 with his usual kindly manner, making it a pleasure to receive a favor from him; acknowledged it by return. Last night met Jones, talking over the Exhibition
at 8 this morning Uncle & I started to London reaching there at 1/2 past 2; Father & Ned Walker meeting us in the Station, & afterwards Mr. Robt Eagle, Alfred Harris & a Mr. Tait; to the Gen. Wolfe in Little Grays Inn Lane; dinner there; didn't like the place; took 1d packet to Westminster Bridge & secured lodgings with Mrs. Schofield, 21 Mount Gardens, Westminster Rd. for Father & Ned and I, back to Grays Inn Lane for luggage, calling in at Westminster Abbey- evening prayers, dim, solemn, & rich effect; Up & out by 9 o'clock & away across the Green Park & Buckingham Palace to the Exhibition with many thousands of others; a 1/ paid we enter this palace of wonders; from 10 til 6 examining one portion of the building- the Brown & Sheffield ware; noting especially Gillotts stand on Pens & Holders, the Fine Arts Court, the Medieval Court, until tired with wandering we came out, across Regents and Hyde Parks to the Exhibition & there until 5 o'clock, in another department, find Jerrold's Guide an invaluable companion;
Ned & I to the Exhibition; had a good day in it; dear refreshments;
August
Wednesday morning at 1/4 to 10 to the Station & Great Northern to London; party: Mother, Uncle Charles & Lilla, Mrs & Miss Miles! Miss Bacon, Miss Newcombe, Ned Thackray & self; spun merrily to London with much laughter & comfort; great to do at lodgings; Uncle Chas & I got to Mrs. Scofields, Mother & Miss Bacon in a crib next door but one, Ned to Mr. Whitwells at Camberwell & Mrs & Miss Miles to their relatives in the Edgware Road & Miss Newcombe to hers in Red Lion Square & we did not hear of her after.
All met this (Thursday) morning at Prince Albert's Model lodging- houses, in excellent, healthy, cleanly & no doubt, cheap cottages; then to the Exhibition; a pleasant wander down the main avenue & then we lost one half our party in the Machinery Court; Mrs. Miles, Miss Miles & their friends becoming detached from us; trying to find them, useless labour though by after accounts we must have been within a yard or two of each several times; in the gallery devoted to Musical Instruments, arms & clocks, bid good by to the Exhibition;
Tues morning letter from Charley Cox requesting return of £5 I borrowed from him for Exhibition trip. Returned him it by return pre-registered letter; with thanks, for his kindness.
October
Read the London News with details of the distribution of prizes amongst the contributors to the Great Exhibition; no one I recognise among them, except Mr. Webb of Worcester for his Horse Hair Manufactures; the contents of the Crystal Palace are now fast evaporation.
November
Letter from Lindsay this morning; he reached the Exhibition during the last week of it,
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