Changing the car

 Friday July 18 woke early. Tomorrow there are at least 8 events I could go to! Crazy! To Triniti's class but did not stay for lunch as picked up Henry from school. Hot. To the Rookery and had an icecream cone which melted. Home and we both fell asleep! Liz making pudding for Adrian's party. They were here until 8. First night of the Proms Bliss, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, RVW Sancta civitas. Presenters and set awful. The Williams piece required pianist to bash keys and violinists to click fingers! Rubbish! 

Saturday Adrian's 80th party was a delight and Fr Tom also 80. Nice singing and playing and lovely food. Stephen was ordained at St George's cathedral so watched it on Youtube To Mass. Shock that Fr Tomas is going to Upper Norwood. Missed the LSi webinar but watched some of it later. 

Sunday up early (too early) to All Sainst Orpington whcih has 3 organs! Everybody very friendly and helpful and all went well but it is a bit far from home 31 minutes. Nice chats to several people over coffee. To Lionel and Jill's for a delightful choir party in the garden dodging the rain. Lovely food and company. Prom on TV Ravel concerto for the left hand and Walton No 1. Tributes to Stuart Burrows including Karita Mattila and Aled Jones. What a voice he had! 

Monday chat to Ann. Consider visiting retirement apartments. Swim and aerobics. Liz to lunch at Clocktower. Stunning concert by BBC Phil at the Prom. Saw some of our friends. Lovely couple next to us arrived late from Gloucestershire. Allan Clayton sang well in the new Tom Holt but we need subtitles. I discovered I need to have Be More and my phone on and saw heard Mahler 7 really well. John Storgard was on fire. Saw John Bradbury afterwards amid a very happy orchestra. University challenge when we got home. 

Tuesday swim and it quiet - water very cold. Both to the optician I am fine but Liz has to have new glasses - over £500! Coffee and panini at Portuguese cafe and bought 2 items at Bookseller Crow. To quiet time and nice chat to Gail who has had respite in Finland. Nice cakes. Good chat to Clare and some excellent advice, Antother excellent prm from BBC Phil conducted by Anja Bihlmeier Strauss, Mark Simpson electric guitar, Berlioz. I did not attempt to follow my score of Symphonie fantastique as the light in the hall is not good. Saw John and Clare Bradbury and their friends from East Dulwich. St Mary Magdalen today and contrast between feminist homily from Southwark cathedral and male view from Oxford. It's about time we stopped talking about the fallen woman and called her Apostle to the apostles! Who passes the faith on - it's the mothers! We cannot go on ignoring women so much. 

Wed discussion about moving! Swim and it was quiet. To Beck to practise and saw David. He showed me Martin Ball's music so I acquired some lovely miniature scores. There are loads to look through! Did the order. Worked on car insurance. Had a long chat to Churchill this morning and Sheila's Wheels is a better and cheaper deal. It is still double what we were paying! Prom French music Ravel. 

Thursday another argument! Art and very good progress, aerobics and 6 lengths of pool. Had to get out for the loo but I had done my activity for the day. Short bit of Cheltenham zoom this time. Sorted out car insurance with One Call in the end. Sheila's wheels unresponsive! The zoom about the dementia study in nature with Harmony. It may go ahead. Liz did well on the tests! Emptied the car. LSiUK zoom was good. 

Friday Louise and Sean came - he is as tall as me! Discussion. Went to Orpington to collect the car - more expenses! Drove home safely. Getting used to automatic. Louise and Sean went to see Lion King. Prom Saint-Saens piano concerto 4. My right ear can't hear a thing so going to GP on Monday. Did not go to SJ for St James feast. It was teddy bears picnic today and we missed it! Rev was hilarious. Sewing Bee. 

Sat Richard at the Serpentine. Hurtado Stephen on reverence - excellent. SM good letter. Various email jobs and booking the Globe. Decided not to go to Bloomsbury Baptist. Mass at Anerley. Oh dear! After months of Sat Mass being short and no singing, we arrive to find we have hymns played too slowly, a psalm sung by the organist (dreary) and a Sanctus we don’t know. There was chaos in Seek ye first and Lord Jesus Christ with people singing faster. If he appears again we will go elsewhere! rearranged scores in study and picked out some books to pass on. Bake off professionals and Prom Shostakovich. Prom from Gateshead Exciting singing of Mendelssohn Lobgesang from the Gateshead Glasshouse Prom. The interval talk about Bede and Tyneside was worth hearing.

Sunday Played at St Philip Norbury. Very simple as Libera are on holiday. The console is in a pit and the Mander organ is unimpressive. No pipes on the choir - no room for them. People very friendly over coffee. Elgar, Mozart, Moore RVW New commonwealth at the end. Probems with poor sound system and my hearing so missed a couple of cues! People friendly and chatty. 28 Cranston Rd tropical in the middle of Forest Hill NGS. I’ve been here before! Now for tea and cake. Santiago cake delicious chocolate and raspberry cake. Boulez prom while ironing. Became plinky plonky! Liz watching Lionesses. I am wary of anything described as a 20th century masterpiece eg Boulez, Berio, Messiaen, Ligeti. Would you pay good money to hear this? Who says it’s a masterpiece? Super BBCSO Prom Mozart and Bruckner 7. Antiques roadshow from Liverpool.