The organist librarian

 Thursday St Thomas Becket. Swam. They liked the shortbread gift. Saul from Glyndebourne 2015. 2 Wigmore Hall concerts. Henry came and we watched Zootropolis very funny. Made mince pies. 2 Wigmore Hall recitals and 2 winter walks in Yorkshire and Cumbria. Only connect, University challenge.  Henry slept late and Dennis came to pick him up. Antiques roadshow of toys. Boxed chocolates at Christmas with Jo Brand. Last part of Saul. Third Christmas institution lecture. Fish and chips. Only connect, University challenge won by Balliol, Masterchef.  Sat 31st SM next to the Thames, S and B. Hurtado on the call of the fishermen. Pope Benedict died aged 95. Dennis came to collect big teddy and we went through my medical records.  Back to the cinema after a very long gap. Picturehouse West Norwood New Year concert Berlin Philharmonic. Jonas Kaufmann on stunning form. Kirill Petrenko precise but exciting. His face in the Death of Tybalt Prokofiev! Capriccio Italien sounded like...

 Drove toCaterham no problem. Snow still lying. Clarissa came so went through the Nardone and Thorne with her. Linda had a bad throat and Peregrine hurt his shoulder. I played Bairstow and Statham on Veni Emmanuel. We sang People look East. Clarissa announced she is coming to midnight but not the carol service so that's the alto gone. NT at home Prima facie a fantastic performance by Jodie Comer and a very thought provoking pay. I avoided the football and much enjoyed Straight line crazy with Ranulph Fiennes. Antiques roadshow.  Monday rain overnight so snow gone. Rang Ann - her 66th birthday. Swim at 10 and had the lane to myself! Another 2 sopranos not coming to carol service but hope to be at Midnight. This is getting ridiculous!. To King's to see Dr Varma at last. No bedside manner at all. He called me Sir! It's up to me whether I have a knee op but as I have no pain there seems to be no point. Age is against me. Go back in a year. Booked to see GP about my left heel....

 Sat SM Catherine was back. S and B. To St Andrew's school to be Father Christmas for 2 hours for the first time. So lovely to see the kids faces light up and the parents too!. A public service so the parents find out what the kids want - nothing, everything, big and small!. Enjoyed it. Saw Henry, D and AM. To St John's fair and bought a calendar for breast cancer and a dinosaur book signed by the illustrator. Veggie bap. Nice to see Fr Antonio and Adrian. Played Walther Wachet auf and Bach Nun komm der heiden Heiland at Streatham Hill. Ariadne auf naxos from Stockholm. Dresden Advent concert with a good tenor Peter Gabor. Old Berlin Christmas video with Hermann Prey. Liz left 2 Advent candles alight and they burned out.  Sunday Gaudete. Hard frost. Fog in North Croydon but not in the South! Church very cold. COAT Sunday. Played Bach and Walther Wachet auf and Rhapsody on Helmley by Lloyd Webber. We sang Come now O prince of peace. So sad to hear David Dibbs had a heart attack...

 Sm from Amersham, S and B. To Riverside winds at St John's. Good I left at 12 as traffic was bad - there was a match. A family came to have a go on the organ at Caterham and I practised which was good. Church cold! Dropped off old specs at opticians in Sanderstead. Got TV in lounge working - the aerial was in the wrong hole! Still the dining room one to sort out and lounge ornaments to go back. Bedroom all done. To Streatham Hill and crib grotto up and trees in place. Very nice but where's the big surprise at Christmas! Fr Valentine wants me to play 2 short voluntaries offertory and communion.  Sunday played Peeters on Wachet auf and Martin How's Advent prelude. We sang Glenn Rudolph's Veiled in darkness - lovely top notes from Lynda and Linda and we had the descant for Longing for light as well. Met with Susan Gibbin and I will liaise with Jerry about the music planners on his laptop. To Roehampton club for a lovely delicious lunch with Rosemary and Joyce who is 91! T...

 Tues no swim too tired. Theodora from ROH brilliant production and singing especially the countertenor. Quiet time in the sacristy. To Lumen church Camden for Art and Christianity talks on the art of baptism. The designer of the Salisbury cathedral font. Met some people.  Wed no swim again! Supervision session. To the Abbey for London Faith and community awards. A lot of speeches and got cold. Canapes in nave but could not stand too long.  Thursday no swim again! To art and touched up Liz's portrait - it had stuck to another picture! Finished Sean's present. Cheltenham prayer with Francis in Zambia. 23 at LSi' zoom and a lively discussion. Cooked Indonesian chicken curry and rice. CAFOD seminar on COP27. Act 3 of Theodora.  Friday no swim! To UNACC only 7 in class. Dr Roberts rang beforehand and asked me to come round so he could look in my left ear. The cream and spray arrived this afternoon! Mick came - first time for 2 years! Bake off extra slice. Worked on Chris...

 Remembrance Day went well. Linda and I sang Faure Pie Jesu as Lynda's daughter was not well. Played Last Post and Reveille and Nimrod. Imogen commented on Steve's absence. I agree it's not the same. To Louise's for a lovely birthday meal with cake. Slept upstairs. I was tired. Monday to King's Cross. Train LNER good and we got 2 facing in a 2. Picked up hire car at the station Vauxhall Astra. 6 gears. To Armstrong building at University to play the organ in the grand King's Hall. Couple of stops not working and confusing but good for early music and modern. Drove to Ryton and Jill and brought Flo. Very comfortable room and slept well. Coped with 2 big dogs!  Tuesday to the Biscuit factory lovely art and crafts and posh cafe. Discovery museum excellent story of Newcastle. Went to pick up Flo and she had fallen in the bedroom. She insisted on coming to the birthday dinner in Hexham. Lovely to see Barbara and Den and Shirley and Jim. Lovely meal and cake. Flo to h...

 Swim. LMP with violinist Aki and Steve Banks on his oratorio The Blue Pearl. Bit of Essex forum. Missed World town hall Walk2Cop27. Used my ROH sub to look at a bit of Written on skin. To quiet time. Come dine, Mastermind, Only connect, University challenge, Bake off.  Wed a busy day swim. Liz to Guys. To organ recital at cathedral by the new organ scholar a blonde from USA. She plays well. Florence Price. Interfaith group 5 of us discussing Fratelli tutti. Alan kept on about education and Rita got a bit fed up with him! To National gallery. The Freud is overpriced (I paid £12) but some of his portraits are stunning. Eva Gonzalez and Manet was interesting and Turner on tour. 11 bus. Excellent meal at London Steakhouse - seemed pricey to me but it was delicious. Elizabeth Line to Farringdon and trains back to Kent House worked well.  Thursday lie-in no swim. To art and one picture finished and the other one nearly done. Liz had to deal with a phone scam pretending to be t...

 Played Howells Sine nomine and Peeters O quanta qualia. We sang I sing a song of the saints of God. Good rehearsal for the Handel and evensong. Peregrine off to Singapore until Dec 12. Susan says they only have a priest on first Sundays from March! Watched you tube of Battersea Power station. It's a huge shopping mall!  Monday no swim. Liz to doctor (inhaler), dentist, Pilates. Wrote to PM, Shapps and Coffey. To Brompton Oratory sung vespers with choir, 11 servers, numerous candles, gabbled Latin. OTT. Like Tosca! Mass in Latin ab orientem. People say nothing. Very Ampleforth priest who did everything. A good homily. The only thing women allowed to do is take the collection! Ben Bloor played well. Durufle, Franck. Not so sure about the Roger-Ducasse and Germani toccata. The Latry Slave Regina with tenor worked very well. I usually don't like his music but this was good! Home quite quickly.  Tuesday swam. Chat to Ann. Sent The Letter details to parishes. Quiet time. Timot...

 Relieved to find the swell manual was fixed. The tuners have to return to up the voltage! I was able to play part of the Franck Choral no.3. No light so Anne Marie stopped me! Checked and it is working. Susan apologised and said the bell ringers want to continue up until 10.15 on Remembrance Day. I reluctantly agreed. I see no point in going to Grow meetings if we are not going to stick to decisions. Lynda overslept but we managed RVW O how amiable by leaving out 2 pages! Practised for evensong. Vestry was locked so acted quickly to get it opened. My stick was in there! Antiques roadshow about BBC 100th, Strictly. Birmingham "classical" programme was rap!  Monday swim. Worked on letter to the cardinal. Quiet time. Started to listen to SMITF lecture from last night. 

 Swell manual unusable at top G stuck. RVW Musette, Greensleeves, New commonwealth and Let us now praise famous men. Good start on Shera canticles for Nov 4 evensong. To St Columba's hall Selsdon to see art works and Bridgid was there. Also saw Philip Pond. Hall very noisy and people talking nine to the dozen. SoP featured CAFOD and Manchester cathedral organ. Gresham lecture Why net zero? Triads. To evensong at St John's Harris Come down O love divine and canticles in A minor. A homily and no second hymn! Norman was playing. Strictly, Antiques roadshow, Frozen planet.  Monday back to the pool. B and S. Missed SM as hearing aid came apart again! Spidir commttee. 5th Covid jab (it was good that I booked as passed the queue!) and posted calendar to Ann and Paul. Very costly to do this now. SM quite time and lecture with Bernard Lynch and Peter Tatchell. Liz to UCM. Tuesday no swim. My arm was sore from the jab and I did not sleep so well. To St Hugh Bermondsey for Spidir session...

 The weekend was brilliant. Bruce drove us everywhere in his new car and their new home is lovely. We enjoyed 4 meals out and it is hard to choose the best. The Italian was delicious, the Greek a bit noisy. I had lovely whitebait and calamari and chocolate brownies. We also visited about 5 bays which I did not recall and had a lovely day on Sunday at the Zoo. Also time to relax. I finished the Missing sister book so now have to wait until March for the story of Pa Salt! Mass at St Thomas on Sat evening. This is the only Sat evening Mass on the island so lots of people who did not sing much. The sheets with the words were few and far between. Could only join in with Celtic Allelia and Amen! Meanwhile Laudate hymnbooks sit unused in the pews. The Filipino choir sang a gospel number at communion. By the end we had both had enough of the concert and headed for the restaurant! We arrived back 11 p.m. on Monday having had assistance to the station (which was much better than going where ...

 Sat cont To St Bartholomew Sydenham (a gloomy church) for Ensemble 26 concert including RVW Horn quintet a jolly work. To Mass at Sydenham Kirkdale. A baptism included and  3 of us did not hear the priest say "I baptise you....." The hearing loop was not working or switched off. I emailed him and he said he did say it so it was not invalid. Surely the point is that we should all hear the words! Frankly it was dreadful. A plastic mug on the font (yuk!) books not ready, Easter candle not lit, far too much was said. We will not go there again! All very depressing. Strictly is on again.  Woke at 4 a.m. expecting to see videos of the wedding. All we got was Paul's speech and a photo from Louise of the happy couple. Harvest festival and lunch.  Played Flor Peeters on Wir plufgen and Vernon Griffiths on St George. We sang Thou visitest the earth by Green. Had a nice chat to Peregrine's wife. I was very sleepy. Antiques roadshow, Frozen planet II, cellists at the BBC. Monda...

 I am really behind on writing this. The death of the Queen has really affected all of us.  I have spent a lot of time watching the many tributes and the remarkable livestream of the lying in state. Friday  Up at 5 am and got the first train at Selhurst at 6am arriving at Tate Britain at 6.30am. Got our yellow armbands at 7 and come back at 1pm. Had a coffee then back to Selhurst and to the dentist and then back to Victoria. By 2 we were in Westminster Hall. It was so moving and beautiful. Three military men saluting as we passed the catafalque. Louise got a photo from the livestream. As we came out spoke to a priest and said how it all brought back so many memories sad and happy. The walk over Westminster Bridge to the bus was tiring. So grateful that we are able to be there. Saturday To St John's twice 10am requiem for Alan Driedger and HM the Queen and LMP concert reflecting the story of the Crystal Palace. The concett ended with Barber Adagio for strings. I went to...

 Liz came with me and we sang Andrew Carter's For the beauty of the earth. I had my hearing aid on the loop which did not help ensemble with the organ. I played Jupiter theme from Planets Flor Peeters variations on God save the King which we sang and Nimrod. After coffee drove to Normandy Therapy garden which was very pleasant and we had delicious cake. Arrived at Little Minnett House around 5.30. Very comfortable. Alas internet very intermittent! Watched St Giles cathedral lying in state. Monday to the aquaducts carrying the Kennet and Avon canal. Both very impressive. Coffee at Angelfish cafe and managed walks at both The Courts garden NT is lovely. Only connect and University challenge.  Tuesday rain and bus into Bath. Met Stephen Power in the Abbey and went for hot chocolate at Mrs Potts. The recital was well attended and very suitable including Rhosymedre, Darke Brother James Air, Whitlock and Nimrod. We met Stephen's friends and went with them to Browns for a nice lunch....

Sept 1 woke at 4 dream about conducting evensong from an organ loft with wrong music. Carols practice with baby Louise! B and S (start of the Southwark conference). Swim. Art and nearly finished the music painting. Cheltenham with Sr Margaret. Day 1 of Season of creation. Liz at gym. Launch from Rome ecumenical was excellent. Yew tree music and whales! Cooked kebabs. Chamber music prom. Scottish Laity network Nellie McLoughlin very good.  Friday SM. 9am swimming with Henry and Dennis. Liz spoke to Ann. Hen party is tomorrow. To Unacc. S part of the conference. B.  To Bacons college Rotherhithe to help on the Spidir at Southwark diocesan conference. Good to see Daniel Trott and Berni Excel. Played for Mass for Season of Creation at Farm St and great to meet so many I only know from zoom! I was tired walked a lot! Henry and Dennis came to Caterham and Henry had a go on the organ. It was a service of the word led by Sarah. An excellent meal at the Verdi and Berlin Phil prom with ...

 Online LSi' retreat at 7 a.m. Both went for a swim at 9a.m. kids in main bit so narrower lanes. B, SM. To Unacc both went and it was a good session. Chose Murray setting of Psalm 8 for Farm Street Mass so all is now decided. Listened to Brahms 3 from Prom. Cooked risotto. Retreat was good. Some people had been in woods and at the seaside! Heard end of the prom crazy Finnish violinist.  Sat delightful walk at Arnos Park with Kath,Matt and baby Jennifer. S and B. Correspondence following the retreat. New contact in Derby. I have lost another pound now 11 7. Masterclass on You tube with Thomas Hampson who was amazing and Laurence Lee less so. Watched The Reader an excellent fim. Kate Winslet won an Oscar for it. Makes you think about what the right this to do is. Mass at St Michael's Pollards Hill. Loop not on so hard to hear priest. Mum said she could not follow him. Piped organ music with the same phrase repeated ad nauseam. Will not go there again! NT at home "Master Haro...

NT at home As you like it a triumph.  Mixed feelings about tonight's Prom Handel Solomon. The orchestra seemed too quiet for the hall and Act 1 was a bit dull. Realised one hearing aid was in 2 bits! Some lovely singing. The timpanist was amazing. Excellent conducting. Not a bad audience considering the rail strike! Saturday lovely meditation from Richard with nephew Jack in Ithaca. S and B. To St John's 10 am Mass for Ian Golds and Alistair. Sang Jerusalem the golden (top F!) Nice to chat to friends. Posters for Isabel with additions. Chat to Colette about Farm Street Mass and sorted. No idea how many will come! Siegfried splendid. Longborough festival opera. To the Prom. Debussy Nocturnes beautifully played and sung. The Mass in D by Dame Ethel Smyth is a tremendous sing and outdoes Beethoven! Bravo BBC chorus and Sakari! Loved the soloists too! Sunday Played Finlandia and Dad's Bishopthorpe Suite. Nice chat at coffee to Danae who is a bell ringer. CCA picnic at Park Hill...

 Woke early. Denns brought Henry down and Liz took him to camp and Sean to Dunraven. We just caught the train and C3 bus and were at Chelsea early. Saw Doctor Irina and she was very thorough. Then ultrasound, blood and urine tests. Had beef bourguignon for lunch. Saw David the physio who is very pleased with the swimming and exercises and gave me some simple exercises before getting off the bed and on entering the pool to avoid backache. Andrew asked me lots of questions and memory tests (needed a hearing loop!) and frustrating to forget one object. Tiring. Shine rep and a good chat about what we might need to do to the house eventually. Finally Ann and explained incontinence and what I can do. Finally home by 6.30 hot and tired but happy. Prom Sibelius 2.  Friday swam, B and SM and S. Louise here and they went to visit Athena. Got lightbulbs for Bruce's room. UNACC session. Chat to Joseph and sorted out Rita's LSI quotes. Sean and Louise went home. Liszt and Oslo Phil at Prom...

 Woke too early again. SM Jamaica Independence day with the lovely Ruth, S. Transfiguration. Lovely retreat from Belmont about St Francis - lovely videos. Took the flax to Dennis's bin. Finished the painting and quite pleased with it! Sunny again. Southwark parish email list rather long! Enjoyed the Prom NYO but where were the chorus in Daphnis and Chloe at the end?  Read at Mass at West Norwood and Fr Julian said this was his last weekend. Good to see Jennie Mitchener. Teriyaki beef noodles Al fresco. Sunday Lambeth conference opening service at Canterbury cathedral You tube. Procession of bishops organ played for 50 minutes amused to see clergy taking photos. Radio 4 highlights this am. Some with rucksacks! Liz came and we went to the tip. Played Bedard and Karg-Elert. Max was there so asked about carols and he agreed! Excellent MU lunch at Caterham. Dolmades, quiches, profiteroles!  Royal quiz. Had a rest. 2 Mozart proms and Ukranians on BBC2. The anthem was very mov...