NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 25 December 1924
25 DECEMBER 1924
Many spectators were injured following a football game between Bristol City and Swansea Town played on Christmas Day.
The Dundee Evening Telegraph reported:
“Mr F. G. Linfield, the former Liberal M.P., who has returned to London after a tour in Africa extending over several months, described his jungle adventure with a lion.
Mr. Linfield, Mr. Ormsby Gore, and Major Church were appointed by Mr. J. H. Thomas, when Colonial Secretary, as a Colonial Office Mission to make inquiries in Central Africa. While they were there the General Election intervened. They were unable to return in time, and of the three who left Britain M.P.’s only one, Mr Ormsby Gore, came back to find himself re-elected. Mr Linfield’s adventure with the lion occurred after he had ascended a mountain in company with Lord Delamere and was returning in order to secure help to release Lord Delamere’s car from a dangerous position.
Concealed Behind a Bush
“While we were ascending in the car,” he said, “rain came on, and the car skidded all over the place. There were no roads, and at one point one of the wheels went over, and the car was on the point of toppling over. Major Buxton, Major Dutton, and myself got out and tried to push the car to keep it from toppling over the side, but at one point one of the wheels went over, and the car had to be abandoned. Major Buxton and I walked for nine miles to the nearest farm to get help. As we were walking along I saw under a little bush a foot or two away from me a black object. I was not thinking of Africa, and imagined it was like a pig. Before I could say a word it jumped up, just looked at me, and then bounded into the dense bush. Major Buxton walked over to where the lion had disappeared, but I told him to be careful as there might be cubs there. He said, ‘The best thing we can do is to walk straight on. Probably the lion is as much frightened of us as we are of it.’ So we walked on, keeping as far as possible from the dense bush. I kept one eye on the bush and another on the nearest tree.”
Lion’s Skull as a Reminder.
On another occasion,” he said, “I stepped out of the rest house in which I was staying one night because I could not sleep on account of the high temperature. I had just opened the door and stepped into the garden when there was a tremendous growl. I went back into the house at once. Next morning I was informed that two or three hyenas had been prowling about the grounds.”
Mr Linfield has brought back a large number of trophies and mementoes of his visit. These include swords, spears, and shields, a beautiful lion’s skin, and the skull of another lion. The lion’s skin his colleagues decided ought to be presented to him because of his adventure.”
