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Our Readers’ Experiences On Their Holidays. The Evening News prize of one guinea for the best story of holiday experiences is divided today ‘between Mr. J. McKinley, of 138, Wickham-gardens, Brockley, S.E., and Mr. A. 8. Warren, 291, Ivydale-road, Nunhead, .8.E. Evening News readers who have had strange, amusing, or thrilling experi ences while on holiday should write them —on one side of the paper only—and send them to the Editor, 3, Carmelite House, E.C., marking the envelope ‘* Holiday ” on the left-hand top corner. Stories which are signed by initials will not be read. The competition closes to-morrow, and stories should reach us by noon to-day. WHERE IGNORANCE WAS BLISS. Mr. McKinley’s story is a variation of the old one of the landlady’s cat. Staying at Margate last month I lodged with a nice, motherly-looking old widow, whose looks, however, sadly belied her. I had not been with her more than a couple of days before I discovered that she practised ‘“‘celf-help ” to an alarming de gree. Her penchant was tea and biscuite— particularly the latter. I always kept a tin of biscuits—or as many, of them as I could—in my room, and it was no uncom mon thing to find half of them had dis appeared, . I had no means of locking them up, 50, not liking to bluntly accuse her of pilfer ing, I used to appeal to her sense of recti tude by putting pieces of paper in the tin with some such legend as ‘Worm cakes,” “Poison,” “ Hands off!” “Is there any other kind you prefer? ” and so on. Still the biscuits vanished. At last, in sheer despair, I wrote:.“ So glad you like them! If you are getting tired of this brand, don’t hesitate to say so!” But all to no purpose. _ I thereupon mentioned the matter to a fellow-lodger who had lived with the old lady for several years. He laughed uproariously at my story. ““No wonder your ruse won’t work, old were he replied. “The old girl can’t T éE FOUR MINUTES WITH THE OCTOPUS. Mr.Warren’s story of his experience is a rather unusual one for a Londoner when on holiday. _ I spent my holidays from 5th to 23rd inst.,at Newquay, Cornwall, and as is well known, on this coast many octopuses may be found. — My little boy was paddling one day in a deep pool left round some rocks by the receding tide, and I was taking a fatherly interest in his shrimping operations, when he drew my attention to a large crab and asked me to catch it, which I endeavoured . The crab went into a hole under a ledge of rock, and putting my hand into the hole I was immediately seized by a fair-sized octopus, which glued its tentacles to my hand and arm and held me firm. I called to my little boy to bring his iron spade and his leg was immediately fixed on to, and we were both powerless to do anything. A fisherman came to our assistance wh ether folk, and the boy was soon rescued, but I was unable to get my arm away for some time, until a bamboo pole having been obtained the brute was induced to seize hold of it with two other of his ten tacles, and by drawing him partly out of the hole the fisherman was able to cut away about two feet of the tentacle that hel me, and I was free. ‘My boy suffered so from shock that we had to keep him in bed for two days. I was in the grip of that fish for full four minutes, in spite of the fact that I am a fairly strong mas,and the experience was one that I should not care to go through again. THE' * GHOSTLY ' VISITOR. Mr. G. H. Bloomfield, of 55, Norman road, Greenwich, sends a story of his first night in Ramsgate :— I arrived in Ramsgate during 178 late hot spell of weather for a week’s holiday, and found it was pretty full. I had some diffi culty in finding suitable apartments, hav ing omitted to engage some beforehand. . at length, however, succeeded, and I re tired early, for, what with travelling and “ house-hunting,” I felt rather tired. Had been asleep for, I suppose, some two hours or more, when I awoke with a start. Someone was moving about in my room, and by the glimmering gaslight saw the figure of a man, whom one might have supposed had stepped out of a volume of Shakespeare's works, for he was garbed in a costume of several centuries back. I decided to keep quiet and watch my opportunity to take him unawares. The next instant the intruder startled me by pointing to the bed and saying in a strange voice: “ Once again to gaze upon those fea tures which in life 60 often gazed on me with tenderest affection. Father, thy son now comes to pay thee adoration. Let me draw the veil which shields from the vulgar gaze the beloved image of a once dear parent!” Saying which he drew nearer and made to remove the bedclothes. oo . This was too much. . I scrambled out of bed, and just then the door opened, and the landlord appeared, and explained that my visitor was his son, an actor, and a som nambulist. WHY HE EXTENDED HIS HOLIDAY. Mr. Frederick Hammond, of 152, Shep herd’s Bush-road, tells of an incident at Brighton which led him to spend an extra week there .—. It was the day previous to returning to town, and, being nearly, spent out, I de cided to go..to the races then on, and try my luck. It had only four shillings. I lost two, so had enough of it.’ _ I started to cross the racecourse when by accident I was knocked down by a gentle man. He apologised, and, I suppose to soothe my feelings, said he knew of a cer tainty running in the next race. — He was so in earnest that I decided to risk a shilling. I got ten to one against the horse, and it won. . I asked the bookmaker for eleven shil lings. He gave a weakly smile and said, “You will have your little joke; you gave me a sovereign.” Like a flash came the thought, “my landlady’s money.” See I looked, and sure enough it had come out of the purse where I had placed it so as_not to touch it. once I stayed another week, but if I had lost!! O.my poor landlady. A GIRL IN THE CASE, _Mr. A. Victor, of 37, Chalcroft road, Lee, Kent, tells how he tried to get a quiet holi day alone .— . I always spend my holidays alone and this year I arranged to stay at a farm house in Norfolk for a few days. Three of my chums who were going away together to Blackpool tried hard to induce me to go with them, but I was adamant. I told them where I was going. On the following Saturday night I ar rived at the farm, and as I was somewhat tired I was soon in bed and asleep. I was late down to breakfast the following morn ing, and when I strolled into the breakfast parlour there were my three chums in the midst of their meal! They had arrived earlier than I the previous day, and, ex plaining matters to the host and hostess and their charming daughter Mary, they had entered into the spirit of their joke and well kept the secret... What a time we had, though. It was that most enjoy able holiday I had ever had, and did not hesitate to tell my friends so. “You won't go away by yourself any more,” they said laughingly at the end of our stay. Yes * Never again,” said I, but I don’t think it will be with them, though, because I have an idea that Mary’s coming with me next year.
Newspaper Details
London Evening News
London, Middlesex, GB
Mon, Aug 30, 1909
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Mark H.
GB 16 May 2026
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