Duller today but quite pleasant, some showers in afternoon. Lovely sunset. Rob. Wallace1 went down by train to Portsmouth for the Scientific meetings.2 I began a letter to Pat.3 Sent P.C. [postcard] David4 + Tom Alexander5 went down to Haslemere with Helen6 + chose a present for Barbara’s 21st Birthday7 at the “Green Frog”.8 I cycled + went to Petworth9 via Lodsworth then went a mile or so towards Pulborough + turned north to Wisborough Green (a very typical English village), Flitchfield, Plaistow, Shillinglee Park + so back to Haslemere, about 35 miles, mostly in Sussex. Got a white specimen of the purple loosestrife.10 Got my lunch at Haslemere [illegible] of a banana, some sandwiches + 2 cakes which I ate by the roadside near Petworth. Got very wet after Plaistow. I thoroughly enjoyed the run. The wild flowers were lovely. In places the Little Convolvulus11 covered the hedges + the [illegible] blossom profuse.
1 The implication that Wallace is a medic points to him being Robert William Lessel (or Leslie) Wallace (1881-1930), M.C., M.B., Ch.B., M.D., medical practitioner, born Turriff, Aberdeenshire, studied George Watson’s College and Edinburgh University, and in medical practice at Woking, Surrey in 1923 and until his relatively early death. [sources include UK Medical Register, 1923]
2 The British Medical Association published 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 Patrick Rodger Stewart ‘Pat’ Muir (1879-1961), Dr Muir’s only son, living in New Zealand since 1902.
4 David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., Ch.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner.
5 Thomas Anderson ‘Tom’ Alexander (1858-1925), medical practitioner, son of David Carnegie Alexander and Margaret Scott Anderson, see Dr Muir’s diary for 19 July 1923 for more detail.
6 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper.
7 Andrina Barbara Henderson ‘Barbara’ Roberts, later Thwigg (1902-1996), Dr Muir’s eldest grandchild.
8 The Green Frog is unidentified.
9 Petworth, West Sussex, grid reference NGR SU977,219 and Lodsworth, West Sussex, SU926,229, Pulborough, TQ047,187, Wisborough Green, TQ047,260, assume Flitchfold farm, TQ041,303, Plaistow, TQ005,309, and Shillinglee Park, SU967,325.
10 Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria.
11 Assume Shrubby Bindweed, Convolvulus cneorum. Probably too far north for Dwarf Convolvulus Convolvulus tricolor, though that part of England is one of its warmest.
[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 