136 WAYFARING NOTIONS 



J. P. Wheeldon ! He meant what he said. 

 Hampton Court or Molesey, which is only just 

 t'other side of the water, claims one of the finest, 

 if not absolutely the best — I never knew a better 

 — stroke in amateur boat-racing, and that is 

 Mr Willie Kent. His record as a stroke for 

 Oxford and Leander stands by itself, and no 

 doubt, but for the folly of the Henley umpire 

 when Leander was left at the post and the 

 American crew let go away by themselves, he 

 would have been associated with a series of 

 victories not at all likely to be paralleled. A 

 rare sporting centre is, and always was, Hampton 

 Court, with which you must include Molesey. 



As I sit giving off these notions I think of 

 the great growth and excellent management of 

 Molesey Regatta, with which firm I had a feud 

 for years. Mentioning it brings to mind my 

 dear dead and gone friend Jemmy Milner, suavest 

 of secretaries, handiest of all-round men ; good 

 old Jemmy, who, a bachelor, had for family all 

 the children of the village, and was appointed by 

 them entertainer and bosom friend to all. Then 

 I must not forget the late H. B. Bromhead, of 

 ours, who was a very useful all-rounder, and not 

 at all averse to putting 'em up and tak;ng his 

 chance. Brom. was an enthusiastic fislierman. 

 The Royal stud in Bushy Park and the Home 

 Park has long been wiped out, so has the 

 Spelthorne Coursing Club. Fancy couising — 

 and good coursing, too • — in the Home Park ! 

 Were ever luncheons so good as Mrs Moo^e used 

 to send over from the Swan at Leatherliad for 

 the sales at Eltham in the Blenkiron d^s, and 

 on the occasion of Mr Tattersall's offering the 

 Royal Rats ? I do not think they evjr were 



