president's address. 281 



Altogether the excursion was a most enjoyable one. The bril- 

 liant weather showed a lovely neighbourhood to the greatest 

 advantage, while the vivid green of the foliage not yet made 

 sombre by continued sun, and the great profusion of spring 

 flowers, point to May as perhaps the best month of the year for 

 the enjoyment of localities such as Hartford Bridge. From the 

 number of members present on this and other similar occasions 

 I infer that the facility of getting to an afternoon's excursion 

 must tend to popularise the Club : and it would I think be well 

 if every year we were to arrange that two or three of the meet- 

 ings should cover an afternoon only. This has in fact been our 

 practice during the last few years. 



The Second Field Meeting was held at Castle Eden Dene on 

 the 15th of June. The well-known beauty of the place, the fine 

 weather, and unwonted facilities afforded by the kindness of the 

 proprietor, Rowland Burdon, Esq., combined to attract a party 

 of about one hundred members on the occasion of this, the fifth 

 visit of the Club to Castle Eden. Absence from home prevented 

 my own presence with the party, but those who were in this 

 respect more fortunate than myself concur in saying that the 

 day was spent in a most enjoyable manner. Mr. Burdon con- 

 siderately provided a mid-day meal, and at the conclusion of the 

 day's ramble dinner was served at the Castle Eden Inn, Br. 

 Embleton occupying the chair. Nineteen new members were 

 added to the Club on this occasion. 



On the 21st of July a party of about seventy members met on 

 the banks of the Wear above Finchale Abbey. Two sections 

 were formed, one walking down from Brasside Bridge to the 

 Abbey, and thence by the direct road to Durham, the other keep- 

 ing the right bank of the river to Durham by way of Kepier 

 Woods and Hospital. The weather was all that could be wished 

 though the morning had been somewhat gloomy and threatening. 

 The flush of spring flowers had to a large extent vanished from 

 the woods, their places being taken by others which, if larger 

 and more pretentious individually, were not so numerous or so 



