The first football
Stayed in bed this morning, feeling far from well. Violent headache. This was the first Game at Football and I had promised to play. I presented the School with a new Football. Mr Martin [Abingdon surgeon] came to see me and allowed me to go out for an hour, so I went to see the game. The boys gave three cheers in honour of the present, so I had to retreat. Afterwards at Roll I told Spyers [Senior Prefect] it ought not to have been done.West walked over to Oxford and saw Charlie who is said to be looking all the better for his tour.Two or three of the boys have been attacked in the same way as myself with a sore throat. The Warden is a little apprehensive of Scarlet Fever.
William Wood’s Diary 1855-1861, ed. by Mark Spurrell, is available from Oxfordshire Record Society. These excerpts are presented to give a flavour of life at Radley in the 1850s