The organist librarian

Swam, Mass, art and did 2 sketches. Julie kindly brought a book of post Holocaust art. Big funeral at Bensham Community Centre with white hearse and White horses. To interfaith lunch. Elizabeth to complete DBS for Lourdes and Bishop John said hello. To Royal Academy summer exhibition and schools. Feel sorry for artists who's pictures end up at the top of a wall. Some good stuff, some funny, some overpriced rubbish especially the horrible fibreglass of the Queen. In the Royal Academy of all places! Liked the bronze of the Queen Mother. Lovely exhibition of the history of the summer exhibition. Glorious Turners, Laura Knight, etc. Why do people buy this stuff? Swept patio and watered garden. Question time and cruise liners in Orkney, also celebrities and the NHS. 

After a quiet evening at Acton and nearly dropping off we watched the fireworks at midnight and they were very impressive. Liz up to be on duty in the cathedral sacristy 8.30 a.m. to 8.15 p.m. and all went well. I was not playing so enjoyed playing with Ciarán who has lots of spots but seemed fine. He enjoyed having Daddy home too. Watched the New Year concert conducted by Mariss Janssons. Lovely dancing too. To cathedral for vespers and then home to do more reading. Harry Potter and programme on Orkney stone age temple.

Italian Prisoners of war converted 2 Nissen huts into a chapel and this is all that remains of camp 60. Domenico Chiocchetti first made the statue of St George from barbed wire covered with cement. He returned from Moena after the war to restore the chapel. The altarpiece is based on the Madonna of the Olives by Nicolo Barabina and is dedicated to the Madonna Regina Pacis (Queen of Peace).

Much better than Stonehenge which incidentally we passed on the way back from Salisbury this month. You can walk round the cirle. Apparently if you walk anti-clockwise which most people did there are twins in the family. My grandma on my Dad's side was a twin I think. Needless to say we walked anti-clockwise!

June 21 Oh what a beautiful morning! Passenger ferry from John O'Groats to Orkney, Churchill barriers, Scapa Flow, Kirkwall for coffee where we saw an Orkney chair, lunch at Stromness. The Churchill barriers came about during World War 2. A submarine got between the sunken ships in the channels to get into Scapa Flow and sink the Royal Oak. The Navy had thought the flow was impregnable. Churchill ordered that the 2 channels be filled and Italian prisoners of war were told to do the work. At first they refused saying it was war work but in being told causeways were being built betweeen the islands they agreed. Huge rocks and lumps of concrete had to be dropped into the water at places 50 feet deep. It took most of the War for them to be built.

Sunday June 21st. Drove to John O'Groats where we joined the tour £44 for passenger ferry and coach round island which was excellent value. Glorious sunshine best day they had had this year! Nice coffee shop in Kirkwall. Scapa Flow and the Churchill barriers. Have been pronouncing Scapa wrong - it is a short a! At Stromness excellent crab pie and local ale at Betty's. Found a beautiful small gallery which had Ben Nicholsons and Barbara Hepworths - a gem! Scara Brae the prehistoric site is amazing and well presented and Skalk castle too. Standing stones and then back to Kirkwall to see Earl's palace and bishop's palace both fine ruins and the magnificent cathedral - the festival started today. Ice cream and then to Italian chapel which is lovely. Fish and chips on our return to Thurso which we decided was a bit of a dump!