Illustrated Diary of the Summer Holidays by H. P. Thompson

The diary records a summer vacation from school, between July and September 1893, part of which was spent at Radley College, where his father was employed. H. P. Thompson records details of leisure pastimes he and his family took part in, which included steamer trips on the river Thames, and a visit to London, where he visited the World's Water Show at Earl's Court, and attended a performance of Charley's Aunt at the Globe Theatre. At the beginning of August, the family travelled by train to Tan-yr-allt, in North Wales, where they stayed until the middle of September, and the rest of the diary entries describe details of their stay, including mountain walks, an ascent of Snowdon, an outing to Chester, and family entertainments.

Internal evidence suggests that H. P. Thompson attended school some distance from Radley College, but that his father was employed there. One diary entry mentions his father preaching. Henry Lewis Thompson was warden at St Peter's College, Radley between 1888 and 1896, and it is likely that this was H. P. Thompson's father. Source: .

Reference: Crockford's Clerical Directory 1899

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The diary is the subject of a short article in the Research Libraries Bulletin , published by the University of Birmingham Information Services, no. 7, Spring 2000.