The organist librarian

Wed the car was taken away for £150 repair to wing and door and we have a pale blue Kia to drive. Ivan transferred the baby seat. To see Dr Ojo - wear and tear on knee, asked to be referred to Bowley Close about shoes, fungal cream for left thigh. One cholesterol is up so no red meat, cheese, chocs, cream cakes! For three months - oh dear and it's not even Lent! The worst is cut back on biscuits! Watched Father Brown, twins trying to give up smoking, Bronx Zoo, Chester zoo. Thursday tired again and snow and ice so did not drive at all no Mass or art. Richard from the National Secular Society addressed the South London interfaith group lunch meeting. We look forward to more discussion! I do not agree that religion and politics can be separated. There was not enough time to defend church schools but I did mention closure of adoption agencies and abortion was mentioned as well. 

Mass and Henry came and enjoyed playing track. Played for Audrey Kempson's memorial service and the choir sang well. Shera Nunc dimittis and Rutter Clare benediction and I played the Ogdon Christ has no body. 8 in choir mostly from Woldingham. It felt odd not having the body there. Reception at Soper Hall. Rita was there. Bronx zoo and Couples come dine with me. Icons on art. 

Mosaic. Benjamin Newlove played well at St Michael Cornhill. Certainly knocked the spots of Mendelssohn 4! To Forest Hill to see Ros. Beckenham circle attracted 30 with sausage and mash. Watched Couples come dine with me, Bronx Zoo and sporting icons.   Noel Rawsthorne died. Father Brown was good. 

Played Walther Jesu meine freude and Hurford on Song 34. We sang Come now O Prince of peace. Haunting simplicity. Sara Goatcher celebrated - no singing and long pauses. To the Works to collect sketch books and buy pastels. Clare came for coffee. To forum of Churches together in Crystal Palace at Spurgeons college. Fr Andrew spoke about Croydon mental health. Did not enjoy the Baptist songs with drums and tambourines. How art began with Anthony Gormley, Victorian Arts and crafts. Call the midwife and Les miserables excellent. 

At St Margaret's for 30th day of prayer with wonderful talks by Fr Timothy Radcliffe. Going to the loo is a crowded expedition! Missed the third talk. An enjoyable afternoon at Bloomsbury Baptist organ day. Great to meet Stephen Bowey again. Michael Stephens-Jones and Callum Alger played really well - so glad the latter is coming to the cathedral. Dame Gillian Weir gave many insights into playing Franck and other organ music in her masterclass. The RCO students did well too. At Mass the confirmandi including 3 of our servers were enrolled.

Mass and watched Back to school. To osteopath and knee moving really well. To Bromley circle Burns night. Played and sang some Burns songs. Haggis duly greeted.

Mass, art, went to interfaith lunch only to find I had the wrong week. To Vaughn House Fr Paul Rout Franciscan from Brisbane on St Francis and Pope Francis and mercy.

Tuesday blood test at surgery cancelled, Mass. Henry to Whitgift centre softplay and he loved it. The works could not trace order. Bank and Post Office. Quiet time and 2 new people there. Clapham picturehouse  Fabulous Queen of Spades from ROH. Wonderful singing and production. The chorus Wow! Dame Felicity Palmer, Westbrook, Stoyanov and stand-in tenor, Pappano on great form. My tweet about the coup de theatre at the end of first part appeared on the screen! I love the idea of the posh audience standing for the arrival of the "Empress"! Sat next to Biddy Spidir chair! Wed up early for blood test at Mayday, swam only 4 in pool and sauna, Mass. Went to see Mary Queen of Scots slightly disappointed not historically accurate or easy to follow. Brilliant acting. Popped into St Mary's Clapham for the first time. Fine Seacole statue outside St Thomas hospital. Excellent champagne tea at the library Marriott County hall. Had a lot to drink and hunky fireman from Tampa and his p...

Liz up in the early morning to see blood moon. To mosaic, part of Stephen Disley's recital at Southwark cathedral and SPIDIR committee meeting.Updated Christmas card list. Sadly so many are now emails but that is so much cheaper! Connect. University challenge. Liz went to Anerley UCM. Icons. 

Using stick so far right leg OK. Played Bach In dir ist freude and we sang Britten New Year Carol. The newsletter instead of Preludes on Song 1 by Willan and Flor Peeters came out as Willan and Flor Prefer A.!! Unusual name for a composer. Very cold. At evensong we sang Harris in A minor and Gore Ouseley From the rising of the sun. Looked it up and he founded St Michael's college, Tenbury Wells which we visited many years ago. I was the only tenor! Back in time for school is fascinating!  Good viewing tonight. Chelmsford men not so good, girls did well. 

It was a pleasure to take the boys to the Museum of Childhood and they enjoyed the puppets, snakes and ladders and moving toys. The pirates exhibition seemed more suitable for older children? Sadly some of the cases are poorly lit. Good cafe. I was forced to sit down and do some sketching as my right foot was hurting. In the end I came home to rest rather than try to serve at Mass. Programme on wild animals in the city. Rats can reproduce very soon after birth. Alligators and elephants can coexist with humans!

To Mass. Worked on Christmas card address list. More treatment on the knee and to the Imperial War museum to see African soldier. To St Paul's for vespers sung by Westminster cathedral choir Boys on splendid form. A good homily by Fr Rajiv Michael although I think it is a very Catholic view to think that Mary can be a source of Church unity. Our common baptism is a better place to start. Scottish lochs, Mastermind, QI on TV. 

Swam, Mass, art, Mind body spirit, watched Nocturnal animals. To cathedral Hall for farewell to Fr Michael Quaqoe. Good to see Francis and parishioners.

My third visit to John Fisher school Purley to talk about Thomas More and the Catenians went well. I got a round of applause! Beautiful playing by cellist Ariana Kashefi at St Bartholomew the Less. Bach, Hindemith and Casals. She is very special! 12 came to hear Sheikh Ramzy speak on Mary (Miriam) in the Qu'ran. Excellent. Antiques roadshow, Tom Kerridge, twins, Red Arrows. 

To Mass after being awake at 2. Fabulous Adriana Lecouvreur from the Met. What a production and the singing and acting from all the cast especially Netrebko! Now waiting to see Stan and Ollie somewhat different. Stan and Ollie highly recommended. It has the feelgood factor. Reminded me of the Morecambe and Wise story. Very nice meal at Cafe El Posso in East Dulwich. Liz had shrimps Mexican style and I had sea bass. My 3 prize books from the Tablet crossword have come! Could have done with a short guide to Aquinas when I started at Heythrop! Chester Zoo. May defeated in parliament. BBC Icons entertainers who to choose? Has to be Chaplin!

Baptism of the Lord and I got wet! We sang Like the murmur of the dove's song by Alan Smith. I thought We have a gospel at the end was an inspired choice. I played Bach The old year now away is gone and Christ the Lord to Jordan came. The latter was Dad's party piece and a steady speed paid off with an accurate pedal part on 4 foot clarion. The Great has a 16 foot diapason so that works well against the choir flutes in the right hand. Watching BBC Icons. How to choose? Thatcher No but Churchill, Roosevelt and Mandela are icons.  Here is the little door at evensong.  Christ's chapel Dulwich for Marilyn Harper's excellent recital. She played a cradle song by Howells. Enjoyed Call the midwife. Grouting at mosaic not my favourite task. I was expecting an organ recital at St Martin's in the Fields. St Martin's voices were excellent especially bass and tenor. Soprano too Emma Kirkby for my taste! Nils Greenhow excellent as the blind Samson, Nathan Harrison exciting...

Lie-in reading McCall Smith and The Tablet. To Manbre gallery Hammersmith to see the fascinating exhibition and book The unknown fallen. 4 million Muslims fought in WW1 and the Imperial War museum refuses to sell the book which is the ONLY book on this subject! They claim IWM is only about Britain. That is plainly nonsense! Confirmation with Bishop Paul Baptism of the Lord. Tim was on duty and very friendly. Watching channel 5 programme on Anne Boleyn. Only connect and University challenge.

Lie-in as woke at 6.Mass. To the Foundling museum to see the rest of Ladies of quality and distinction and Handel's singers.James Gough played very well at St Martin's in the Fields Mendelssohn no. 3, Bohm, Hindemith and Brahms finishing with JSB Passacaglia. Amazed at such a large audience for an organ recital. To University college of Osteopathy for £13 and Ben is very good. Worked on right knee and have exercises to do. To choir and Trevor was far too loud. 

I found my M.A. papers but could not find notes on Mary in the Qu'ran so that must have been a separate lecture by Damian Howard. To Mass and art I made the sea and sky much darker. Stayed on for Mind, body, spirit with Rashmi as the hire car was not available so that our car could be repaired. 8.30 a.m. to Mayday for X-ray of right knee. Traffic was bad as there were lights in Whitehorse Road and people were being really stupid pushing into gaps! New Vax vacuum. 

To Sevenoaks for a meeting at Brendan's about Catenian conference motions.

We both went swimming and to Mass then coffee after service. I went to the doctor - from now on everything gets checked for cholestorol!

To Mass then took Henry to Kelsey Park. He loved it! Pub lunch with Beckenham Catenians. Quiet time at St John's. Liz went to servers council. To Peter Sanders at Petts Wood for an evening of recordings made by Chris Town. An interesting mix including carols by Norman and Christian Strover, Bromley orchestras and 2 of my pet hates harpsichord and Messiaen! Good audience. I took popcorn. 

Mosaic and then came home to take down decorations which took all afternoon! To Catenians and Tom got very cross with Philip and stormed out.Hope he does not resign. Croydon there in force so had some good chats to Richard Mills and Noel about admitting women. Liz and Dennis went to the Assumption for Ordinariate Epiphany carols. 

Finished the book about Savute. Beautiful coffee concert at St John Upper Norwood today billed as Tim Posner. The piano trio played Rachmaninov Trio elegiaque and Schumann trio No. 1. The latter has a last movement where I felt Schumann was trying to convince himself all was well despite his depression! Soulful playing from all especially the cello (who I think is the son of the LMP principal viola). I spoke to the young violinist who hopes to go to Basel. What a treat and I did some sketching.Fr Michael Quaqoe celebrated vespers and First Mass of Epiphany lots of incense. We will miss him when he goes to Rome to study for his doctorate. Heard the last act of Otello with Stuart Skelton (we have seen him in the role at ENO) and Dudamel making his Met debut. Chester Zoo. 

We both went swimming and to Mass then shopping in Aldi. Reduced price stollen and pannetone? Silly question! Good to see Berni Excell at the shops! Emma Gibbins played Advent and Christmas music at St Stephen Wallbrook. Nice to know I am getting it right! Did not know the Weckmann and Liszt. Good to hear Lloyd Webber, Rowley and Peeters. Splendid trumpets in Noel Suisse. Welcoming at cathedral and 3 of us on. Family from Durban delighted by children's guides. Sad to see Christmas tree and crib in Trafalgar Square gone. To National gallery to see Landseers (wonderful lions) and Artemisia. The lion and the unicorn is rubbish. Gainsborough's family portraits lovely but rooms are too small. Gorgeous Royal wedding photos. And I was very struck by a portrait of Ed Shehan. 

Back to the pool and 20 lengths. Told the baldie he really ought to be in the slow lane rather than the medium. His front crawl is OK but when he does breaststroke he goes right under the water and is very slow. He also does not keep to the side. To Mass and we had the wrong prayers and antiphons for some reason? To art and first coat on the migrants painting. I reckon some of us should plant trees to offset our carbon footprint. To Dennis's but our Sebag hoover is old and too heavy and needs a service. We are getting a new lighter one. What can you say to someone who tells you about her numerous holidays and then complains that she cannot go away in September because her mother is 90 that month? She said she told her mother she should not have been born in the middle of the month as it is inconvenient!!! Chester zoo. Beet soup and cheese and rolls for lunch.  Loved Back in time for school and the series on great rivers on BBC2 is excellent. Christmas University challeng...

To Mass Sunith did not read the prayers for Basil and Gregory! To West Norwood picturehouse to see The Favourite. Outstanding acting and Oscars all round, Camerawork and lighting excellent - really got the period feeling. Listened to recording of Mark Lawson's radio play "The moon that night" which was featured in The Tablet. Just catching up on TV again. Hang on, I've seen this Swan Lake from the Royal Opera House. Of course I have I saw it at the cinema and it is fabulous! Henry, Dennis and Ann-Marie came for dinner and we sang some favourite carols round the piano. Watched Christmas University challenge Bristol got 200! Tom Kerridge on cookery. 

As always the RI Christmas lectures are fascinating and fun. Watched New Year Bake off and Steven won.  Amazon programme. Only connect and University challenge. The family set off for home tomorrow - looking forward to seeing them especially as Sean has had a haircut. 

Very lucky. I put my Bethlehem cross on the strings for the Maltese cross. The Maltese one fell off and when we got to the Kerala restaurant I found the Bethlehem one was gone as well. Luckily the waitress spotted it on the floor. Have now done triple knots! I have worn it for at least 10 years. The annual trip to Vienna to watch the New Year's concert in company with the wonderful Petroc Trelawny. One day we will get tickets for this. Radio Times thinks Ricardo Muti was going to conduct but it is Christian Thieleman at the helm. We had a lovely day in Vienna on our honeymoon 44 years ago. Interesting to note that the music online stream before the Sydney fireworks was some old Ozzie rocker nearly as bad as the music churned out before the London fireworks. Bring back the Royal Fireworks music please! And the presenters were naff! QI for Christmas was good but Graham Norton got switched off for crudity. The new calendars are up - we have 9! Crossword from Christmas ...