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Case Studies Bearing Upon Survival – John F Thomas

B.-Hyde Park

While in London, Mr. T. became so interested in the work he was doing that he gave very little time to anything else, and what little diversion he did take was often incidental to some feature of his investigations. This was the case with his first visit to Hyde Park. In order to locate Victoria Station, from which he intended to leave on Tuesday for a sitting with Mrs. Leonard, at Purley, he took the bus for the station Friday afternoon, and from there walked back to an entrance to Hyde Park.

He was particularly interested in the gorgeous spring flowers along the way from the station to the park. When he reached the park, he went up a moderate slope in front of a statue in honor of the Duke of Wellington and sat for an hour or so. While he was there, he was somewhat amused to have two pence collected from him by a guard for chair rent, and he was interested in the numerous horseback riders, especially amusing being the solemn grooms in charge of child riders, who passed frequently in pairs. The children were perched precariously on their horses with their chubby little legs sticking out at right angles. Mr. T.'s notes, made in his daily record that same evening, include, among others, “two pence for a chair," "teaching the tots to ride."

Record. Mrs. Elliott, May 5, 1927, J. F. T. and secretary:

“You've been somewhere very high looking on country. You know, like you goes up somewhere very high, and you looks on country. Look, first it is sort of low and broad, and then comes to one place up like that.

(Like a tower?)

 [Mr. T. had another place in mind.]

 Doesn't know, it's something much higher'er than the rest. You know, goes along like that and then goes up, does you understand?

 (Does it go upstairs, or just up a path?)

No, it's, you know, like climb up. Yes, and everywhere this side and that side sort of garden and walk around, does you know? Path, you calls it, does you understand? But you has been long time like looking long way away, you sort of liked it. You know lady that spoke to you last time, she gives it to Topsy, and says she's there. And then you been somewhere you saw’ed a lot of horses. Doesn't know what it is but she very 'cited [excited], very amused about it. And you was trying to find some money, something money.

(Where was this counting the money?)

Me thinks it was when ...you ... the day you went and saw'ed some horses. Me thinks you went to three different places or done three different things that day, does you understand?

(That's probably something I could think about later.)"

 [In his daily record, Mr. T. found three places that day noted, Victoria Station, Hyde Park, B. C. P. S.]

Another medium hit at his looking at the flowers, although the time is set as Sunday instead of Friday. A far off suggestion of the Hyde Park visit is also in a statement through Mrs. Garrett, on Monday, May 9:

“She wants to say: too, that she was very much with you on Friday. I do not know why Friday, but there is a joke or something amusing over that."

On Friday, May 6, Mr. T. again spent part of the afternoon at Hyde Park. This time he walked beside a, considerable stretch of water, crossed a bridge and walked back along the other side, stopping for an hour or so on the way back to sit beside the water. Among his recollections are a second assessment for chair rent, the number of people about, especially ladies, all well dressed, walking up and down beside the water, and the number of men who were out in the sun rowing vigorously, apparently just for exercise. While he sat there, he listened to the music of a band somewhere out of sight.

Record. Mrs. Elliott, May 7, 1927, J. F. T. and secretary.

 “You wanted somewhere specially to see, looks like lots of flowers and lots of garden. There was water in the middle. You wanted especially to see for her. Does you know?

(Yes, I do.)

 [Omission of fourteen lines of irrelevant material.]

You wented somewhere and hearded beautiful music. Oh, now, this is something to do with when she was here, by water, something to do with beautiful music. Not music what you plays on things. Music, natural music. Perhaps it is birds.

 [The control at this point jumps at what suggests to Mr. T. Orchard Lake and the radio set there. She resumes after a question.]

(Can she show anything more about that? About that place where there was music by water?)

Doesn't know. Sees lots of beautiful clothes and lots of peoples. Doesn't know what she means. It is somewhere you was there for long time, or go a lot. It is something very special stands out in her mind.

(Ask her if this was yesterday? Maybe I am thinking of the wrong thing.)

No, something connected with yesterday she gives a long piece of water and then a bridge over. Does you understand?

 (Yes, I know that.)

 Well, she knows about it too, but she going back when she was here to something.

 (Well, I know what she means.)

 It looks like some way away, but that was beautiful too yesterday. It is a long water and nice bridge. Me thinks that other water had boats or something like boats. She says other peoples gets tired with these talks, but you best pleasure, best sight-seeing sort of, has been talks to her. You has never sacrificed one talk for the sake of pleasure. Always quite ready to turn down anything, she says."