The organist librarian

 My present from Liz is Paul Spicer's biography of Sir Arthur Bliss which promises to be fascinating. Third trip to Caterham this weekend and all went well No choir. I couldn't hear the sermon. To Acton for a lovely lunch and Joanne and family came. Had a sleep after lunch and played games (I could not hear much!) To bed at 10. Liz stayed up to watch a film. No TV but I did see the King's message on my phone. It was excellent. Boxing Day cooked breakfast and drove home. Henry came to get his presents and show off his new art set and large canvas. Excellent programme about the coronation and the King's year. Carols from King's. The hills are alive with the Kanneh-Masons. Portsmouth cathedral midnight fantastic playing and singing with the Royal Marines band. Manchester cathedral was good too. St John's day Eyre at 12 noon service and a delicious lunch in the vicarage. Bake off and pottery throw down. Call the midwife very good. Only connect and university challen...

 Had a lie-in - so odd having a Sunday off! Blackfriars exc sermon and singing. Evensong was nice unaccompanied Gibbons, Goldschmidt and People look East arr Barry Ferguson. Enjoyed the show jumping. John Williams conducting the Berlin Philharmonie. Antiques roadshow about toys. Chopin piano competition - they are treated like performing monkeys. Where is the musicianship?  Monday woke at 4 to 6 then slept again. Result no swim but went to aerobics. Father Brown. Booked for Nazareth community retreat in Feb. London international horse show. Copied carols and sent amendments. Excellent Cathedral music trust Christmas quiz. Video chat to Ann and family. Great to see Jack, Owen, Mark, Sarah and Claire. Only connect. Christmas University challenge. Tuesday very wet so no swim and woke at 10. Clearing up. Quiet time and we had wine and nice eats. Henry came after school. Sports personality.  Wed woke at 5 then 9.15. Swim. Delivered cards. 2 Father Brown episodes.  Thursda...

 The letter drafted. To Mass at Beckenham via Penge. Fr Ashley is going to West Wickham. Fr Steve hobbled in on crutches to tell us all. Saw the Tobins. Strictly, Picasso part 1. King's troop part 1.  Christ the King. Played Crown imperial. My back was bothering me. Carols practice. Changing planet a very good series. To QEH on a filthy night and buses delayed, Allowed in during reading by Rory Kinnear and in fact the seats were better than where we would have been sitting! Bevan family consort - what a treat! Strictly result.  Monday chat to Ann and to see Dr who is very nice. Referred to Kings again for hand, Daktacort, physio next Wednesday on back. Swim and aerobics. Antiques roadshow, Maria Callas interviews with Lord Harewood. Picked up Henry from school and he made up the Advent wreath and painted his Diwali cake which has hardened and the salt shines out! Mastermind, Only connect, University challenge, Masterchef. Tuesday boiler serviced.  Wed to Kendal arriv...

 Sunday played Adagio from Elgar's cello concerto and Prelude on St Magnus by Willan. In fact we started late and I played St Magnus variations! Anthem Christ has no body David Ogden. Rehearsed carols with 4 ladies. Paul Miller rehearsed trumpet - it's going to be great and he can come on the 14th as well. Wrote to Catena about recruitment. I doubt if he will publish it. Timothy Radcliffe at Blackfriars. Robin Gibbons has a completely different take on today's gospel parable. Strictly and Angela who is 79 and is out. Evensong was good Walmisley in D minor. Met John who belonged to a community choir in Peckham. SLIFG zoom with Chris Hewer and Julie Siddiqui speaking so well. Lifting the lid. Louise had a great time in Paris.  Monday chat to Ann. Pity we did not say we would pick up Henry today as was planned. I was supposed to go to C and W today to see the knee surgeon now put back 3 months. Swim, aerobics, both had a chat with Barbara. World opera competition - impressive ...

 Thursday swim and to art. Finished two small paintings for Christmas presents which is good as I will not be at art for 2 weeks. To Fairfield Hall and Liz came (although she was in discomfort - the injection is Thursday week). Herman Jordaan played very well and over 100 there. Eclectic programme Rowley, Wammes, two South African composers and Durufle. No free coffee or reduction on food and shocked to hear that somebody at the Fairfield sent an email pulling the plug on the rest of the series despite bookings until May and some giving their services. I wrote to Nicola and took leaflets. In the evening I handed on to Cllr Andy who I know and he promised to get back to me. Animators meeting was very good again. Did minutes grabbed dinner and out to Braithwaite Hall for FTIC remembrance and peace events. Penny did well. No apology from either Mayor for changing the date at short notice and it was good that the turnout was not bad. I did some networking. Hard to find Palestinians loc...

 Jolley led a lovely reflection at Abney Park cemetery. The Booths and Isaac Watts are buried there. T o Shabbat at South London liberal Jewish synagogue. Rabbi Nathan gave an excellent sermon and gave me the talk by another rabbi. Bishop Christopher read part of the Torah and Archdeacon Jonathan and a Muslim were there. It was well worth going and nice eats downstairs. To Blooomsbury Baptist to hear Stefan Donner from Vienna. HIs Bach immaculate. Heiller short partitas are from short. Dupre and Reger. Horrid journey home. I would like to know why police closed the lift entrance to Tottenham Court Road station. There were so many people trying to get in I walked to Leicester Square in the rain and eventually got on a train and again large crowds trying to get the Jubilee line. Still I rise a concert to mark Black History month at St John's. Maureen Braithwaite has a lovely personality and glorious top notes, Joshua Gordon lovely soft singing, Yolanda Grant-Thompson, Ronald Samm (he...

 Liz in Cardiff. Swam, Unacc exercises. Coconut oil good for the brain? Spirit unbounded live from Rome on gays. Lovely chat to Mick. Query about the history video for SLIFG which appears to be lost! Sr Joan Chittister from Rome excellent. Mary McAleese on canon law excellent.  Sat to Precious Blood and in time for Mass. Walked along with Sheila. An unusual mix of BCP language and modern - don't think it really works. Played Moore and RVW it's a very fine Lewis which came from Battersea. Ben Bloor was very chatty - he is going grey! Coffee and bought some of David's books with donation to Christian Strover fund. Ben's recital was excellent and well attended. Stephen Disley, Sebastian. Bus to Vauxhall. St Peter's is a huge Pearson church with an 11 stop Lewis organ which sounds very well in the church. Train, tube, train home in time for question time at Spirit Unbounded. Sunny but colder.  Strictly was good. Sunday much colder. Glad I covered car windscreen. Played ...

 Sept 30th and up to find the dining room decorated with banners and balloons. Had delicious blueberry and strawberry pancakes plus smoked salmon! Louise has gone to such lengths to organise everything so well. Dennis and Henry arrived and we had barbecue lamb and pork and lovely salads. Then it was presents time, Ann had bought a Lift 109 jigsaw (perfect) Liz bought membership of Dulwich picture gallery, Bruce brought chocs. After blowing out the candles I was part of the zoom from St John's college the 60 year reunion. It was OK but it would have been better if everybody had introduced themselves! Later got a fuller report from Ant and it was obviously a big success lasting 3 days. Much champagne and wine was drunk and we ended up enjoying Paddington Bear 2. A perfect day. Sunday Oct 1 Mass was 9.15 at Billingshurst so that idea was abandoned. Louise interviewed us about our childhood and Ann was a bit upset at one point. As Bruce said talking is better than reading a book. Denni...

 Sunday was Harvest festival so we sang Thou visitest the earth and I played Peeters on Wir plufgen and Sumsion on Monkland. Jaimee was there in a black sparkly jacket and she was very chatty at coffee. I did not stay for Harvest lunch but picked up Liz. We headed for Acton and had a nice meal at Louise's.  Monday picked up Ann and Paul and stopped at Guildford cathedral for coffee and cake. Young organist playing! Portsmouth cathedral delighted to see the Creation tapestries which are exquisite and we missed them at Rochester. In the queue for the ferry an hour before the time and all went well. Tea at Quarr Abbey and bought a calendar. To the house in Seaview and it is ideal. Near the beach. Ann doing the cooking. Only connect and University challenge.  Tuesday to Lily's coffee shop as Liz needed medicine which we got later in the day. To Sandown beach and paddled. Ann had a swim. £2.10 to park and 20p for the loo! To Bembridge watermill NT - I didn't climb up but watch...

 Monday video call with Ann. Swim and aerobics. Music list for October in Excel so added to it and sent back to Jaimee. She still has 4 hymns we do not know! 3 on the same Sunday! Lidl for shopping and had a look at 65 Saxon Road - looks seedy but the apartment might be at the back. Put the balloons jigsaw back in the box - couldn't even finish the edge! Bach from Proms. Anna Lapwood wheeled out as an expert. SM lecture on Ukraine. Liz went to UCM about CAFOD. Only connect, University challenge, Who do you think you are.  Tuesday swim only 10 lengths too many people, to the tip - could not park near the hard plastic because of vans with youngsters unloading! To hospice shop in Beckenham and took 2 jigsaws back and bought 5. Nice chat to the lady. Quiet time. Adam's Mum died aged 95 and chatted about art. Cleared out the car and took seat out. CMQ article done. Darren was scammed next door - saw Dino. Ambulance and police up the road. Later the coroner's ambulance came. Saw ...

 Monday swim. Emily and Mary came for cake and tea. Picked up Danny Simpson and got to St Columba's just after 3. John-Francis Friendship on Sacred Heart and purity of heart. The first talk at 8 was a bit hard to follow. Did not sleep that well - it was hot. Tuesday 8am morning prayer and breakfast in silence. Talk 2. Walked labyrinth. It was cooler. After lunch (food very good) 20 minute walk to the golf course tunred out to be 90 minutes 3.5 miles said John when we got back but I did manage it. Sandals and stick. Talk 3 at 8. Evening prayer and compline.  Wed 8 am morning prayer. Have read a lot of J-F's book and he says he will give a discount if church want to run a course. Packed and out of room by 10. Eucharist and talk 4 at 11 and lunch at 12.30. Home by 3.  To Bread for the world and the launch of Richard’s book Letters from Nazareth. Beautiful singing and so good to meet so many who I had seen on zoom. We became companions online so it was special to renew our vo...