SUSSEX

On 1 June 1935 Shelford bowled the first jack at the opening of West Hoathly Bowls Club. The card, dimensions roughly 4 inches by 5 inches, is 2 pages. The letter, 2 pages, 4to. Both somewhat grubby but in good condition. The card thanks Wilson for sending a copy of Francis Hackett's 'Henry VIII'. 'I dipped into it in the train this morning & it so <?> me that I had to skim my newspaper'. The letter begins with some Christmas chitchat, before discussing a lecture given by Shelford, a copy of which he encloses (not present).

Is not sure whether he can find a ground plan of the Abbey before his alterations, but provides a detailed description of them, e.g. 'I took down some parts which were not old but added by Sir Godfrey Webster, built very badly of brick & cemented over to look like stone, and have rebuilt it of stone with a slight alteration so as to render it more in character'. He refers in detail to the rebuilding of the library 'which is 76 feet long is substantially the same building as the former one erected by Sir Anthony Brown after the dissolution of the monastery and its cession to him'.