The organist librarian

Mass and Liz to Aylesford with UCM where she served. Henry came and played happily chatting away all the time. To Royal Society of Medicine for annual 1963 OJ reunion always a delight. Only 10 this year. John East was remembered. Home at 11.

Drains cleared. Mass and played for funeral at Caterham - very quiet affair. Henry came and played a little in the garden. To Canteen at Royal Festival Hall for most enjoyable family meal with Dennis, Louise, Bruce and Emma. To Acton. Watched TV programme on Royal Academy. Library work then to St James Piccadilly for a fascinating tour and talk on interfaith by Revd Lucy Winkett. It was brilliant! Tea at Royal Academy and saw the new bridge. Lovely dinner Old Johannian reunion at Royal Society of Medicine. 11 came and we had a great evening. This is our 6th reunion dinner there! 65 years since John, Richard and Stan started together at school!!

A most enjoyable Old Johannian reunion dinner at Royal School of Medicine. Good that Colin Hartley and Maryka Nettleton joined us for the first time. Greetings from John Wilder and Stan Trollip and we remembered the departed including those in Manchester and around the world. Dwight Wilder was remembered too. Opera outing next year? Had a good chat to Colin Hartley. He visited Angus Rose in MacGregor with his third wife who was much involved in the church. Angus died 5 years ago and Colin wrote his obituary as St John's wrote him off - he was our best teacher! When Colin taught at St John's for a year with Jimmie Gordon Doug Jeffrey always called him "Hartley" just like he was still a student! Liz was at St John's and picked me up - home 11.30.  Friday swam 20 and after Mass put up Catenian posters at Anerley. Another glorious sunny day. Damian Howard is new provincial for Jesuits. 

Excellent service from Autoglass - new windscreen fitted and new wipers so I was able to drive to art after all where we had great fun with the Brit school students. Did 4 quick lifedrawing efforts. I was very pleased with the double portrait. Julie now has my pictures for the library exhibition. 2 of the ladies gave me items for the interfaith stall. To East Dulwich picturehouse to see Absolutely Fabulous which was funny. Home to change into evening dress for the Old Johannian Delville Wood commemoration dinner at Institute of directors. Excellent and it was free! It was very moving to read of the bravery of Fr Hill. Sat with the new head and Penny Peregrine. Delighted to meet Michael Lugton from Edinburgh. We were home after midnight. Friday lie-in and took duvet and tie to cleaners and delivered the pictures to Alan Gadd. Worked on July 17th details and sent church emails. Right hearing aid giving lots of problems - hurts my ear so going to doctor to get wax removed first and usi...

Morning at LBFN Faith in social action at University of Westminster.  Shereen, Shanti, Catriona, Siriol there.  Explore marriage session at St Benedict Ealing - it went well but we needed more time.  The library is impressive. To Acton so Liz could change.  Lovely meal at Royal Society of Medicine our 4th OJ reunion dinner and great to have  Stan Trollip  with us. Mike Stanley has 2 books coming out this year. It's expensive but worth it.  Before dinner we prayed for our friends from the year of 1963 who have died and the Old Johannians killed in the First World War especially at Delville Wood.

Put up the plaques from St George's college and the plate from Hebron. An enjoyable day at Polesden Lacey doing the Easter egg hunt and children's trail in the house and then the play area where we met Christ Everitt who left St John's in 1960! 13 came to conversations for the soul at Brixton - a fascinating discussion! The publicity is working! Watched programme on Greek art.

Both to Clapham picturehouse to see King Henry IV part 1 from Stratford RSC. Brilliantly done and a triumph for Sir Anthony Sher. Came home to change and to Royal Society of Medicine. It was an excellent evening lovely venue and food and delightful company. It was good that moved round between courses.

Friday October 4 th a day to remember always! Met at 8.30 Colin Robinson (who has not changed a bit), Quentin in charge of cash and badges (somewhat shaky), Fuzzy, Paul Deveaux  and George the manager joined us for our planning meeting. We all have our allotted tasks. It seems amazing that the great day has finally come after so many emails and Skype chats. The CD is a lovely production and a  Power point has been prepared. Colin later produced a printed version for people to see. Liz handed Quentin a large sum of Rands to cover the CDs for the British guys. As a result we  took a drive to the Bank at Killarney Mall going down Munro Drive. The Houghton streets seem pretty deserted compared to other places. The stories people tell are fascinating especially about Yeoville. At 11 a.m. I enjoyed an hour on the chapel organ – the school is as stunningly beautiful as ever. Met Fr Jaques and Cameron Macintosh the head of music who was very friendly and explained about the do...

A good time was had by all!

Monday was a Bank holiday but we had mosaic as usual so I missed the Bromley PC recital. I put the kettles on but this seems to have set off the fire alarm which eventually got turned off. The classic was the guy who turned up to help who asked "Have you got the key to the fire alarm cabinet?" If we had had that we would have turned it off mate! Home and worked on essay. Liz went to confirmation class. Watched Come dine with me form Edinburgh which was hilarious. Tuesday seam 20 and to St Dominc Waddon to play for Kitty's funeral. Since I played for Pat's funeral it has been refurbished and the Allen organ is in poor state - pedals very poor. I told Fr Paddy about Alan's house organs and he was very keen. Played manuals only stuff - Handel and Trumpet voluntary. Nice eats and Gill Beach was there. Helped Liz complete her work and it all got submitted - I helped sort out the bibliographies. She had been up late last night. To Royal Society of Medicine Wimpole St...

Photo from Ray Lecolle-Brown

Friday was amazing! Everything suddenly came together. Friday October 4th is the date for the Joburg reunion and Colin Robinson offered accomodation in Cape Town and Knysna so we have planned out rip after the reunion along the Garden route from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay via Montagu and Knysna and then back to Cape Town via Mossel Bay! Excited emails were sent out all over the world to announce the glad tidings! Lauren came back with an earlier start for the tour because of security so 3 p.m. tour, 5.30 chapel with remembrance of the departed (12 so far) a hymn and me playing the organ. 6.00 kick-off. Have been trying to contact Ronnie Jones in Pretoria and in the process emailed Ronnie Gill! No reply as yet. I did manage to complete the Dupuis book overview. Watched University Challenge episodes and Come dine with me and Howard Goodall on history of music - still loads to catch up on! Jago Cooper in South America too but the day has gone on emails!

Swam 24. Nice letter from Arthur Hughes. Louise came with Seán who was smiling a lot. Robert Cooper tuned the piano (at last!) It is a 30s piano with a new case and was bought 58 years ago so it has done well. Played some Bohm and Mendelssohn. More contacts from Old Johannians - now have 10 for dinner on May 7th. Still await a date from OJA. Did the police survey online. Started reading Bean Quash'd Abiding, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent book which is great - first chapter he talks about working in Johannesburg Western suburbs!

Swam 20 - chatted to Dave Cameron. The music group from Thornton Heath plays for Mass at Brixton prison every second week! He said Julie Henry was unwell. He had not heard much of Catenians. Also spoke to the little ginger lady - she is a Pentecostalist and worked at Lloyds bank at the Olympic village. Reading for course and set up charity standing orders. Claire came to get empty jars. Listened to evensong by Clare College from Aldeburgh parish church featuring Britten and Holst. To Rosemary and Lyn's for a very nice meal with champagne - fish pie. Both Lyn and I dropped off after the meal while Liz was showing ordination photos! They will be off to Sydney very soon. Liz gave me the book of the history of Belmont Abbey and Rosemary gave back the Minotaur programme.

Tuesday more emails from Rob Sceales, Anthony Gear and Stan Trollip about schooldays. To St Michael's Beckenham despite snow and meet Fr Paul Keown - liked him. Lovely 1956 church wiht a new Mander organ paid for by the late Alan Burtonshaw who sadly died last week. Looks like it might be a proposition - I am playing for Bishop's visit on Feb 3rd. To Provincial council taking Harry Mellor. It ws held at Russell hotel, Maidstone a 39 mile drive. Peter Stevens was elected director. Nice beef meal and chatted to John O'Sullivan of Dulwich and his charming wife who have been married 25 years this year. John MacMahon was on form.Saw a mouse in the lounge - yuk!

Monday April 27 to Prince of Wales pub, Drury Lane - Liz decided not to come and John Thing had rung to say that he has prostate cancer which is a big shock and he needs our prayers. Richard Peregrine and Mike Strong at the pub which was very noisy. Conversation was really hard. Christopher Dane's older brother was there but hard to hear - Christopher is in New Zealand. It was hard to even get names - a Greek name who played Cassius in 1960. Mike was recounting the story of the fart at a dramatic moment in "King Lear" and how Dame Flora Robson performed for us in 1961! I can't remember that. Roger and Ann Cameron the headmaster were there and it was good to see them but a private room was definitely needed. No sign of Kimon the local contact!! I had forgotten that Mike was at Russell Endean's funeral with me and Bruce. Also met a Deloittes partner who has lived in USA, Belgium and France and had little time for the French school system! Richard and I headed for Wa...

Soweto contrasts from squatter camp to Holiday Inn and World cup stadium Friday we saw Rob after breakfast and Bruce our mini coach driver arrived to take us on a tour of Soweto. Much had changed since 1970 and we saw no libraries. We walked round a squatter area and visited a home - the family from the Cape. Bought a green stone carving of the eye looking at everything. The tour ended at the Pietersen museum on the site of the Orlando student demonstrations. It was a moving experience and a harrowing one too. Very well done with all sides represented. Bruce returned us in time for lunch. We visited the new college shop and bought a hat and 2 books. We had already met Jean in the school library (my favourite haunt) and I presented the book I had read on the plane "South Africa; how are you?" to the library. She took us to see the museum which is fascinating and we enjoyed a walk from the prep along the Long walk as the sun set. The reunion of 1963/4 was a...