Woolwich

Swam 20 which made up for missing out yesterday -got there no costume! Today was the Visitation and thought about lovely Ein Kerim and the Magnificat tiled panels. Booked 3 ENO operas for next season - had to ring box office in the end - they had old email address despite us changing that address before! The new secret seat for £20 should be good as you find out close to the time where you will sit in stalls or dress circle! I wonder what they do if everybody books that way??? On the other hand it must ensure more seats are sold. To Norwood and train to London Bridge only to find trains to Plumstead cancelled and very little advice. Luckily met Siriol and Michael Bishop of Woolwcih so to New Cross and then a long bus ride. They got off the bus too early - we got to the Greenwich Islamic centre after 2 and were ushered into the youth club in a sort of outhouse and given water and biscuits. No tea and no sign of loos. After some good speeches from Archbishop Kevin, the Bishop and local church leaders plus MP Sadiq Khan who is Muslim we introduced ourselves briefly. Then out for a photo. I gave out Cardinal Tauran fliers and the rabbi said she had distributed hers. Some went off in taxis to lay flowers at the Barracks. It seems the Queen had been in Woolwich today bit she did not visit the flowers. A strong police presence and media. Woolwich reminded me of New Addington - pretty grim and I guess high unemployment and very mixed but quite a large white population. So all that travelling for an hour's meeting which was cut short for media purposes. Still it's a start to more working together. Maybe the mosque should get the BBC back to film the local Muslim youth playing football against the soldiers? Have we failed our youth? Came home on 3 buses via Crystal Palace - it took ages and I was sleepy. Watched BBC news and saw myself at the meeting! Quite a fair report I thought. It seems some were praying on the pavement and tea was served outside.I wonder why we were not all invited to the midday prayers.  It was all very hurriedly arranged., It's a big complex - why were we in the youth club? Convenience I suppose. We must pray that extremists do not take this over and Lee Rigby's family have appealed for this not to happen. Liz is babysitting at Acton. I've remembered where I met the Muslim leader - it was at the Firepower Museum on Remembrance Sunday.