1 68 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



sentation of the hopelessness of that route, they gave it 

 up and agreed to Dorking. 



In 1874, a club was instituted in London for the con- 

 venience of lovers of the road, entitled the ' Road Club.' 

 Under the presidentship of such a thorough ' artist' and 

 lover of the road as the Duke of Beaufort, this club can- 

 not fail to be very fashionable, and I anticipate a great 

 benefit to the road from its existence. Now that stage 

 coaching is revived, there is no reason why this club 

 should not emulate the example of the B. D. C, and con- 

 tinue the Benevolent Whip Club, a source of relief to 

 distressed coachmen, which worked so admirably in its 

 day. The true lover of the road would be glad of the 

 opportunity of giving a lift to ' one of us,' and the club 

 would gain a practical object. 



There are a certain number of stage-coaches which 

 may be considered as standard, i.e. for the last five to 

 eight years past, they have always run from London 

 during the season (from May 1, until September or 

 October), and over the same roads, at the same times for 

 leaving and returning, and mostly owned by the same 

 proprietors. They are the following : — 



The Tunbridge Wells . . Hastings Road. 



„ Dorking . . . Arundel Road. 



,, High Wycombe . . Oxford Road. 

 ,, Brighton. 



Lord Bective, Colonel Hathorne, Mr. Charles Hoare, 

 Sir Henry de Bathe, Lieutenant Colonel Withington, 

 Lord Macduff, Lord Blandford, Mr. Eden, Lord Aveland, 



