2025

 Jan 2. Louise and family came for lunch. Delicious beef and pavlova. We had champagne. Played Cranium and sang Angels' carol. Delightful! Quizzes on TV, sweets we used to eat. 

Jan 3 woke at 4 and then 8.45 so no swim. Lovely day, frosty. Petroc on Radio 3 in Budapest. Took 3 parcels for return to corner shop. An organ for the Sultan BBC Sounds interesting. Quizes on TV.

Jan 4 Saturday lovely walk on Holy Island with Richard and Augustine from the Melanesian brotherhood. SJ delightful playing by Jay Bevan and Stephen Dickinson Saint-Saens, Martinu and Brahms. Nice chat to Jan. Henry came and he did a canvas and baking. Dropped him back early as there was a match against Chelsea so we were very early at church. Tea at Grace's. Mark played 3 Epiphnay hymns and Fr Andrew sang a bit in the sermon! Liam student from Richmond and Vallodalid. New Year Bakeoff and Hannukah cooking. Finished Bookshop ladies by Faith Hogan - loved it! 

Epiphany snow washed away overnight by rain. Peregrine sang Three kings very well despite not being well in Singapore. I played Buxtehude and Gade. GROW meeting. I commented on Holy Week services. Worship band starts after Easter on first Sunday. To SJ for lovely lunch French potato dish and galettes du roi. Had a sleep. Epiphany carols was lovely. Stopford, Shaw, Cornelius, Hewitt-Jones, Palestrina. Nice chat. Call the midwife excellent. 

Monday Liz waited for call from Guys and spoke to a nurse. Back to the pool and Aerobics - hit my targets! Got a bursary for Nazareth community retreat day. Green party sylum and migration group zoom was interesting. Quizzes. 

Tuesday to Shirley methodist and new tubes. Swim. Dorio's funeral is on 22nd at 12.30 at Bluebell crem and not at St Mark's after many of years of service there! I have a funeral at 11.30 at Caterham on that day. GROW notes amended and a change on Good Friday. Send dates to choir.  To quiet time. Liz got a strange call purporting to be a PC in Brixton so rang police. Animal Park and quizzes. Some decs down. 

Wed Liz to MRI at Maudsley. Brilliant NT Coriolanus. CCA meeting on zoom. Digging for Britain. Hilarious Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

Thursday whole day at C and W a lot of sitting about waiting. Saw doctor I saw two years ago and she was pleased by the strength of my limbs and physiotherapist said I was doing all the right things. SHINE lady said stairlifts are smaller now and better than moving! Home by 5. LSIUK zoom and met Antonio who speaks good English! He is in Cordoba. Prince George, Sandi Toksvig forest. 

Friday Liz sick in the night - the chicken we ate? But I was OK. Cancelled  swim and got to UNACC to find it closed so coffee and brownie at the Lakes cafe - toddler group! Father Brown is back! Frost but sunny. 

Sat lie-in. SM Amersham. Frost and sunny. Updated article for Burton visit. To Dulwich picture gallery to see Terzia Garwood charming works. It was busy so came home for tea. Michael Bond and Paddington. To Mass Baptism of the Lord. West Side story remake by Spielberg. Went to bed so missed last section. 

Sunday Baptism of the Lord. Woke 9.30 a.m. ! SM Blackfriars and Swk excellent homilies. Death cafe online. Nature around Loch Lomond and Shetlands. Epiphany carols from Pembroke college Anna Lapwood directing. Splendid! Call the midwife. Training guide dogs for the blind. Antiques roadshow. 

Monday chat to Ann after woke late. Dreamed about Josie's funeral and got up to check - it was at Thornton Heath. Swim and aerobics - Carmen did warmup - too quick! Saw Jim Jelley. Told Barbara what doctor and physio had said about my limbs being stronger. To Phoenix centre and both of is have annual memberships. John on Beckenham cemetery - very interesting. 50,000 buried there! SM meditation and chat. Angela going to Birmingham to tutor theology. Quiz night was good. 

Tuesday Liz to Guys - a long day. To Oxfam with old vases. It did not open at 9.30 so took them to St Christopher's hospice shop and they were happy to have them. Swim. Heard a bit of Midnight Mass from Leeds. Ironing. Quiet time and nice chat to Violet. WM discussion and Liz had council. Digging for Britain.

Wednesday Liz was sick 3 times but she served at the funeral of dear Derrick Phillips 87. A very good turnout of Norwood circle brothers and families. Derrick learned Russian so he could talk to a prisoner in HMP Brixton! The organ at St Aidan's is not goo. Kathleen the soloist went through Paul Inwood's "May the choirs of angels" - it was new to me. It was appreciated. 4 hymns. To burial at South Nutfield cemetery which is a lovely place and then cream tea at the Queen's Head. Chat to Stephen now a deacon and to be ordained in July so looks like Brecon is off! Balham Catenians and I had beef. 

Thursday back to art. We both went to West Norwood to see "Conclave" which is riveting. Could the end be prophetic? Pizza. Gresham lecture on screen music. Milton Merkimedes. The presenter of Channel 5 Britain's great cathedrals is awful. The Revd Pat Allerton makes no attempt to explain why these buildings were erected and ges around saying Wow. He makes Portillo look intelligent! Dan Snow on Stonehenge was better. 

Friday swim. No UNACC as study blind fitted - very attractive autumn leaves. Liz cleared up study boxes and foudn some interesting things. To Beckenham Methodist and met 2 Davids. It's a fine Bishop organ. Animal park X 2. Simon Schama on our culture. Would I lie to you? 1066. 

Saturday SM Jolley on Hampstead Heath. Liz to Sainsburys. I sent resignation letter to Jaimee. To West Norwood to see Maria. Intriguing - did not learn anything new. To Mass. Week of prayer for Christian unity poster reveals only one event. Programme about Princess of Wales. Simon Rattle conducting at 70 Walton, Mahler and Strauss. 

Sunday played RVW Greensleeves and Buxtehude In dulci jubilo. Choir meeting after service went well and was followed by meeting about the new music group! The choir were surprised but accepted tat this is the best decision for me. Booked July holiday. Evensong Murrill, Ley and Wilby. Drinks afterwards. Antiques roadshow, Call the midwife, Throwdown.

Monday spoke to Ann. Facilitators meeting on zoom. Swim and aerobics and Liz came! Animal park. CATHEDRAL MUSIC IN PRISONS: More than just a jolly?” given by Giverny MacAndry. At St Saviours Pimlico Churches together in Westminster Evening prayer and AGM. Good talk. Chat to Fr Dominic and a priest from Ogle Street. Only connect, University challenge, Simon Rattle at the BBC.

Tuesday swim. Liz very upset by phonecall. Meditation but did not stay for tea. St Agnes. Christopher Town's recordings he will soon be 80. They were mostly from 2004.

Wed I played for funeral at Caterham - got there at 11.15. People did not sing "Abide with me". I had coffee and cake at Warlingham park and tried to watch Dorio's funeral but no sound. Liz got a lift there with Anne and David Brant. We met up at the reception at 28 Beckenham Road. West Wickham folk very chatty. Found a house for May in Sussex. No reply from Fr Steve as yet. Simon Schama Story of Us part two. Repair shop.

Thursday woke 4 to 6, Up at 10.45 so no art. Aerobics and short swim as I was worried about my bank card. It was in the car! Picked up Liz from Homebase after her haircut. Very wet. Cleaned behind bed and drawers. LSiUK meeting was good. Art and Christianity Vessel works in Welsh rural churches. Fr Steve not engaging at all.

Friday felt tried and down and stayed in bed very windy so no swim or Unacc. Ann rang about another property but Liz later found a better one near Bognor. To Bethlem artist in residence building a moving chair vehicle. Johnson Wahl paintings. Played piano. Would I lie to you, Winterwatch, Queen Mary and Gunpowder plot.

Saturday to SJ for Mass of Coversion of St Paul. Brunch for volunteers. Parked at NJ but when I got to Farringdon Elizabeth Line not running so walked to No 8 bus and got to Bloomsbury Baptist at 12.45. Sylvia, Andrew, Gary, Sebastian, Philip Bricher there. Good young players. Interesting talk on Norwegian cathedral music. Ben Collyer and Evan Lawrence on great form and enjoyed the violin pieces played by Evan. Talk on Henry WIllis III. Bus and trains back. When I got to East Croydon I was completely disorientated for a bit and realised I just had to stay on the platform to get train to NJ. Composed email to Ms Acons. Sorted out music to go back to Caterham. Week of prayer for Christian unity ends - the materials on the Nicene creed have been excellent.