The organist librarian

30 minutes wait at Selhurst. Signals blamed. We were late at the cinema.  A tour de force from Kenneth Branagh and the cast of The Entertainer at Clapham picturehouse. We missed the first 15 minutes. Enjoyed it and so relevant today!  2 contrasting exhibitions William Kentridge at Whitechapel and Robin and the dance at the Courtauld did some sketches  Nelso.n Ferreira  offered an extra session so we could finish. sean up at 9.30 and opted for a day at home again.  The Crown on Netflix is brilliant and moving. To book fair at school. To Gate cinema  A United Kingdom is a great film with David Oyelowo giving a fantastic performance. The British do not come out of this at all well. Sir Seretse and Lady Ruth Khama were a beacon of light in Africa and Botswana. Just read Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana novels! Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry

Swam 20, chat to Ann, mosaic and tai chi.  The Radical eye at Tate Modern an interesting collection of modernist photography owned by Sir Elton John. Liz and I were both at BSO -work on left knee as well as right one. To Kensington but too late to get to new Design museum so tea at M and S.  Robert Fraser gave an excellent talk on George Herbert at Heythrop. Youth matters minutes sent out. David Walliams and friend on TV and University challenge.

Advent 1 we sang John Scott's arrangement of Creator of the stars of night and I played Flor Peeters and Alec Rowley preludes on Conditor Alme also Lloyd Webber rhapsody on Helmsley. Organ has been tuned. Carol practice with 4. Edited church website and put appeal on Streetlife. Watched end of Midsummer night's dream on TV.  St John's Cambridge Advent procession very good. Lovely Advent service at St John's including Michael Fleming's Kindle a flame (we sang in the first performance) Charles Wood and Stanford. Es ist ein Ros in German . Bridget's version of Wachet auf quite different to Ben Bloor's - well he is young! Interesting to see Plimouth plantation in programme on Mayflower pilgrims.

To Caterham and served tea and coffee at church fair. Engaged about carol singing and several people took leaflets. Morrisons car park jammed. Soper Hall crap school choir outside. Caterham school choir and band much better outside Morrisons. Home for lunch. To Ben Bloor's recital at Bloomsbury. Philip wanted me to turn but I had to leave. Excellent playing. Vespers Advent 1 and first candle lit by Fleur. Emmanuel served as his friends were having silver wedding celebration but he was as usual a pain and acted as MC!! Programme on Christies.

Friday was a brilliant day. I was greeted at John Fisher school Purley by the head Philip McCullach and he sat in on the year 7 lesson. I was greatly impressed by the preparation on the Catenians and the Powerpoint went really well with lots of interaction. Juan's son's friend was in the class! To Selhurst and saw Steve Murphy - he is now retired. First spiritual guidance meeting with Ivan - I like him. We met in the Selhurst cafe but it was noisy. Liz went to Acton after choir. 2 hours life drawing at National Portrait gallery enjoyed it and did 7 drawings. Watched Citizen Khan and programme on Thomas Cromwell. Carpets cleaned after 3 years.

Swam 20, oil painting, interfaith lunch delicious, to the tip with plants from front garden and got oasis for Advent wreath. With Duncan to Catenian Youth matters meeting at Medway Towns - very positive.

A quiet day with Sean. Yesterday was a full day Picasso portraits at NPG brilliant, left bag in locker and to St George Hanover Square. David Saint recognised me and played really  well. National Gallery for Beyond Caravaggio. Too many people, lovely to see Dublin pictures and good film. Back to NPG Black portraits. Tea then Wellcome for excellent Bedlam. Did a psychic awareness test with photo. Earls Court wait for Richmond train got Ealing one which became a Richmond! Good painting session and Nelson gave me a 1905 book on Palestine. Gareth Malone and William Kentridge in Joburg on TV. Car would not start outside school but Louise had bought a portable charger. Home in good time and changed with bowtie for Frank Bond. Bill Whitmarsh took Brendan Foley and I to Chislehurst golf club for joint Blackheath/Bromley meeting which was great. Sausage and mash. New brother Peter Graff knows St Joseph's college. Frank and Duncan delighted by scrolls.

Another excellent day with Dr Chris Hewer in Kingston on Muslim education and citizenship. Heythrop college for Professor Robert Fraser's talk on John Donne and bought Robert's poems which are fascinating! Bruce returned to Jersey. Robert got me to read the meditation For whom the bell tolls.

For Christ the King played Elgar Imperial March (bells started late and had to cut it short - no light) and Walton Crown Imperial. We sang  Stephen   Cleobury's setting of Let all mortal flesh with Linda and I singing top A in the descant! The keyboard works better than the piano and being in the chancel the singers sound better. Good carol practice and a new recruit. Will try for more at the fairs.  Christ triumphant has to be one of the greatest hymns with a wonderful tune. Lovely to have Bruce with us for lunch of lamb and Christmas puddings with pinot noir. Dennis and AnnMarie came down with Molly. Watched Planet earth II, Pentecostal Brixton church. Lovely programme on Sheku.

Spent the morning preparing a Powerpoint on St Thomas More and the Catenians for presentation to Year 7 at John Fisher school on Friday. Great birthday party for Ciaran and James at Wasps rugby club, Acton. Bruce took photos.  Silver medals for over 10 years service at the cathedral.3 enrolled. Paul had written to Liz so good thing I wrote to him. I started Jan 2005 and enrolled Dec 2005. Liz before that. Martin Plunkett at smoke vespers. Mayfeld school choir sang Mawby. Programme on Christie's.

Swam 20. Started a new oil painting, did not get to  Peter Stevens  Recital. Alas! Wallace collection The Middle by Tom Ellis a tour by enthusiastic young lady but I am unconvinced. Was he daunted by the collection? Hearing aid getting new mould. British Museum South African art very well done. French portrait drawings and Thai puppets.  Excellent event at National Bahai centre. Good dialogue with a Jain. Met some new people and old friends.

Swam 20. Bruce here. Dulwich picture gallery has a lovely exhibition of Adrian Van der Welde and an intriguing Is this Rembrandt? To BBC singers conducted by David Hill at St Paul Knightsbridge and free. Bramma, Sanders, Bielby and Colin Mawby good to see him there. Best of all premiere of Requiem by Philip Moore. Stephen Farr played superbly. Lots of emails.

Quiet morning with Sean playing track, reading books and watching TV. To Hinsley room and Brian Palmer who was administrator of the cathedral until 2007. 5 came but no Roy from the Jamyang centre. He will come in July - he got the time wrong. This is only the seocnd time a speaker has not turned up. Brendan picked me up to Swanley official visit and Malcolm was there with a party from Upminster,  Presented icon and scrolls to Austin and Dave. 

Lovely funeral for Isla Fishwick at Holy Rosary Hayes. Liz's birthday lunch and dinner at Station House. I enjoyed Opus Anglicanum at V and A. Painting and Gareth Malone. I would have gone to Andrew Wakefield's funeral had there not been a clash. Surprised to see V and A describe a burse as an ecclesiastical purse and in one case the lights were reflecting in the Glass!

Swam 18. Mosaic and tiles ready so started on face. 7 at Qi-gong and Tony kept talking! To Debenhams and Marks and got a nice black beanie. To Tooting on the bus. Had a coffee and pain au chocolat. Met with Sebastian Morello and Mark Nash at the Centre for Christian formation with Duncan. Very positive meeting and when I got home I wrote the letters requested to brothers, presidents, bishops, deans and Province 19 all by email although I am posting the leaflets to some presidents (10). Watched University challenge. 

Remembrance sunday went well with an excellent trumpeter for Vaughan Williams Old 100th and Last Post, also National Anthem. We sang Give rest O Christ and I played "For the fallen" by Elgar. The bells continue up to 10.15 so alas no opportunity to play Solemn melody and Nimrod.  A delightful meal with the whole family at the Roehampton club to remember Lyn Callan. Thank you Rosemary! Tea with  Dennis Woodhouse  and  Ann- Marie Woodhouse .

Had to do an emergency stop when a car came out from the left in Holmesdale Road in the pouring rain. Last night  had to reverse for a stupid woman who should have waited. She said I should get a retest!  Idiot! A good meeting with Jerry this morning about Christmas which is going to be simple this year and luckily I went into the church. Organ builders had fixed the cipher and reported rain in the organ chamber but had locked the console door. A locksmith was needed as nobody but the organ builder had that particular key! After kunch went on the train with Bruce, I went to Lewisham RC church to find a Mass in progress. so I went to St Stephen's and played there. It seems the organists were upstairs at the RCs and I dd not know. Rather annoying.Brian was late at vespers so mass started late. Deacon from France and RCIA candidates. Alain at the end.Watched the Royal Albert hall remembrance. Portsmouth did not have much to do which was a shame. 

Swam 20. A lovely morning to visit Beckenham and the Bethlem gallery (exhibition ends today) and the excellent Museum of the Mind - well worth the visit! Sorted Interfaith group talks on Amoria laetitia for 2017. We can stay with Malcolm which is a help. Liz took AnnMarie to the dentist.  Haydn's Creation at Sadlers Wells with the Ballet Rambert. Some of the dancing was inspired. Lovely singing from Sarah Tynan and James Gilchrist. Enjoyed it! Bruce is here!

To Croydon conference centre for Preventing modern slavery in Croydon. Mayor Wayne and chairman Peter Cox silence for those killed and hurt in tram accident yesterday. Good speakers and shocked at extent of the problem which is hidden. Anybody can be trafficked . To East Ham to meet Xavier and we went to an excellent Kerlan restaurant, Great to see him. The Apprentice and Masterchef. Chat to Ann. 

Swam 20. Set off around 12 and had an excellent lunch at Ask Gloucester Rd with a discount, I had calzone and tiramisu. To Trail finders and Julian booked 3 trips for us! Singapore, Adelaide, Sydney, Christchurch In January, Botswana and Victoria Falls in June and Spain and Portugal in September. Costs a lot but we should do it now while we are fit. It does mean I will have to pay deputies for several Sundays but that is Ok  I was greatly relieved that Jan Pringle can cover Jan 1 and John the rest. To painting and really got the colour mixing right do dark first, value, hue and saturation. to Acton Thomas in Swansea for a week. we'd woke to find Trump in White House horrified. Tram crash in Croydon. Rain and Sean keen to stay home and not go to Tamar's again. Watched Gareth Malone. To Dulwich Catenians - nice food and good company. Saw Christian Strover coming out of his gate. 

Swam 20. Terry's photos from yesterday are great. Late for mosaic as a result. Got Dennis's photo enlarged and copied so able to trace the outlines and did a bit of background. Qi'gong was good. To post office to send calendar to Oz. Royal Academy Ensor curious, Abstract expressionists unimpressed apart from Rothko. To BSO and as it was an exam half price. X ray shows some osteo arthritis and false gout which is calcium crystals. I am not overweight, healthy and exercise so am doing all the right things.  Feel much better. Discussed going to Oz in January. To Norwood circle and lots of visitors. Dennis presented with enrolment scroll and mentioned prayers for the sick. Good chat to Croydon who seem to be on our patch even South Norwood and Coloma! Richard Crail told me some outrageous stories about Fr Patrick at Selsdon.

Read the names of 108 deceased Catenians at the 6 provinces Mass at Westminster cathedral. Excellent lunch at the Doubletree. Grand President and Bishop Paul very good company. I had a long chat to Marcella.  Arrived to play for Evensong to find organ cipher which I could not clear so used keyboard and sang everything. I had chosen Vierne Berceuse and Epitaphe which do not need pedals. It was for All Souls. Watched new David Attenborough programme on the Earth and Poldark.

Swam 20. To art and did a lot of work. Liz out all day. To dentist for check and one filling sorted - £53.Put new poppy on car and new handle on freezer. Emails. Watched City in the sky about planes and Frankenstein from Royal Ballet. 

Woke early. Did Catenian scrolls, diary, emails. Fr Michael Quaqoe said It's your big day tomorrow! Laughed at Citizen Khan. We had sparklers after dinner. Dan Cruickshank's series on houses.

Swam 21. Peter Foggitt splendid playing at St Michael Bedford Park Bach, Howells, Tournemire, improvisation on Memories and 3 blind mice!  Guiding at the cathedral - very quiet, raining! To Church House bookshop to get calendars and Cathedral music magazine with features on Stephen Cleobury and Norman Harper. To Tate Britain the Turner prize a load of junk yet again!  A most enjoyable clergy supper at Addington Palace golf club with Fr John Pritchard as our guest.

Tuesday All Saints day we drove to Eastbourne for Ron's funeral. Great to see old friends again - we seldom see them. Richard thomas conducted Cast thy burden and Bgoroditse and all went well. The reception at the hotel was nice and lovely to see Ron's photos, Beethoven 9 score and album. Barbara has many more and she needs help identifying when the photos were taken. Lovely ones with Prince Charles. We went on A22 and came back on the M23. Tea and then set off for painting. I was late as train cancelled and first train to Richmond full. Had trouble mixing colours. Watched first Gareth Malone programme searching for best choir in Britain. Wednesday took Sean to Kew to see The Hive and had lunch. Had torubel getting him out of the playground and he wanted a toy but I said No. Picked up Ciaran and Liz went to the parents information meeting. 90 minutes to get home. Phoned Jill which was helpful.