Mr. Gold did not show up until after lunch, and remained unperturbed at being told that the Catalogue was wrong in many places. As he left it so late I took it on myself to set out chairs and seats for about 30 people, and a table and chairs for Mrs. Butler to preside at. (She is wife of Butler, M.P. for Saffron Walden, and Secretary for Colonies, or something). She, Sir Gurney and Lady Benham sat on one side of the big mosaic [in the Castle], while the audience, consisting of about 20, sat on the other. Sir Gurney had previously expressed his complete disapproval of almost all the pictures in the Show, but his speech was a model of what a chairman’s speech should be.
Mrs. Butler blathered pleasantly, and the Mayor responded. The audience then filed out, and the show remained almost empty until it closed at 7.30. The hours between 5 and 7 are not popular for museum visiting.
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