All my brothers went to sea. Hugh fell overboard coming home from Australia when he was only a lad of seventeen. This dreadful calamity bought a deal of sorrow to my mother and father. I remember a Captain Bacon coming to see them - also to bring his sea-chest - which must have been very harrowing.

I am rather mixing things up in this diary by going backwards and forwards again. But things occur in fits and starts with me. Some things are vivid and others remain in shadow.

Going to the Crystal Palace was a startling event. It happened when my Aunt Clara and Uncle Tom came over from Ireland and must have stayed with us at ‘Einhallow’. I recollect the day which had been full of sunshine. It was spring and my uncle had brought me a large balloon which I carried.

The Palace was shining like Crystal, bands were playing and some of the Royal Family were there.

Thousands of people walked too and fro amongst the fine statuary and fountains played with water. Palm trees were growing under glass and there were tiers and banks of flowers outside. Womens’ clothes were soft and of the loveliest colours and a monstrous organ sent a wandering thread of music though everything.

A great, glass, celestial globe glittered in the sunshine and at night was lighted up with hundreds and thousands of coloured lights. We went into the aviaries and saw remarkable birds of Paradise.        

 Many were the times I was going to have happy days at the Crystal Palace. When I grew up I had a season ticket and joined the art classes which were held once a week. We had to either paint or draw from the nude and a model sat for the students one hour at a stretch. I used to sit still until the hour was nearly up and once the master said: “Waiting for inspiration?”

At the last possible moment I dashed in the figure and a lot of foliage in the background and once Miss Davis, the model, came from her pedestal and said, “Let me see! I’ve been watching you - indeed, you must be truly inspired before you can work.”

The Crystal Palace was the one place I loved to be and for years I trod the marble steps and wandered in the delightful grounds. Thursday nights were fireworks nights and if I was not actually in the Palace, I would be somewhere in sight of it and watch the ‘golden rain’ and the rockets which could be seen for miles and miles. The set pieces one had to be near to see - with thousands and thousands of people sitting on the tiers of steps leading to the grounds. Sometimes these pieces would be of Queen Victoria and her consort sitting at a table with her children around her and the band would play ‘God Save the Queen’.

After we left that lovely countryside place at Brasted, where my father had died, my mother bought a house called ‘Hillside’ near the Crystal Palace and a lot happened there which I hope to bring in later. My mother was restless and sold her houses again and again. We moved from ‘Hillside’ to ‘Clifton Villa’ - Clifton Road, South Norwood - but we would still be in sight of the Crystal Palace.