Had a splendid sleep + breakfasted 8:30. Wrote Stevens1 about meeting him at Portsmouth.2 Left a letter before 11 + cycled to Haslemere P.O.+ then to Easebourne where I called at Bachelor’s Gate3 + saw Mrs D’Arcy4 + Blanche.5 Then to Midhurst where I took the wrong road + landed at Bepton.6 Had my lunch in a lane leading to one of the South Downs.7 Gathered some plants I didn’t know. Went to Cocking on the main Chichester road + Singleton, Goodwood8, where from a height I had a glorious view9 to Chichester, Brighton +c. Went round Goodwood course to East Dean and Charlton10 + back to Singleton + home. Lovely country : profusely wooded + filled with lovely houses, Henley11 a most picturesque village. Got back at 7 [after] 35.4 miles.
1 Perhaps John Stevens (1859-1930), M.A., M.D., F.J.C.P.Ed., medical practitioner, former Physician to the Edinburgh Western Dispensary and “indefatigable worker in the British Medical Association” of whom his obituary noted that “After joining the British Medical Association in 1892, he devoted a very large share of his time and energy to its various organisations, and the work of the Association may be said to have formed the principal hobby of his life. For many years he served as a member of the Executive Committee of the local Edinburgh Division, becoming its chairman in 1922. He became honorary secretary of the Edinburgh Branch in 1914, an office which he held till 1927, when he became its president. He attended every meeting of the Representative Body of the Association from 1914 till the year before his death, and served as a member of the Central Council from 1926 till his fatal illness rendered attendance at the meetings in London impossible.” [“John Stevens, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P.Ed., Formerly Physician To The Edinburgh Western Dispensary.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 2, no. 3630, 1930, pp. 196–196. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25336918. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.].
2 There was a full report of the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association held at Portsmouth 24-27 July 1923 [Macewen, William, et al. “Annual Meeting At Portsmouth, July 24th To 27th, 1923.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 2, no. 3264, 1923, pp. 23–26. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20424140. Accessed 17 July 2023.].
3 Bachelor’s Gate, Easebourne, Midhurst, West Sussex, grid reference NGR SU900,229. The family there was the Bailey family, not named here but referred to in Dr Muir’s diary entry for 22 July 1923.
4 It is clear that Mrs D’Arcy did not live at Bachelor’s Gate, Easebourne (see footnote 3) but more likely at Haslemere. Dr Muir had met Mrs D’Arcy while she and her husband were staying at Clovenfords earlier the same month when he stated that they were “The D’Arcys from Haslemere who are staying at Clovenfords … Very nice couple”, see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 10 July 1923.
5 Blanche was probably Blanche Bailey (1875-1949), born Madeley, Staffordshire, died Midhurst, Sussex, see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 22 July 1923
6 Bepton, immediately south of Midhurst but off the main road at SU861,183.
7 Assume the lane leading to Bepton Down and Cocking Down, area of SU860,173.
8 Cocking, SU877,176, Singleton, SU877,132, and Goodwood racecourse, SU886,111.
9 Perhaps St Roche’s View, SU877,110.
10 East Dean, SU904,129, and Charlton, SU887,130.
11 Henley, SU894,257, between Shottermill and Midhurst.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 