The organist librarian

Woke early. To All Saints for "What is an icon?" art. Loved Judy Pascoe's Raphael and Sydney Opera House. Did not like large photos of religious statues with pricetags on them. Surely the prices would be underneath? And some people make a living from them e.g. Bethlehem Palestinans. Commercialising religion is inevitable. Watched the Trooping and great to see the flypast and the whole Royal family apart from Prince Philip who is 95 tomorrow! Catenian emails and loading lists onto mailchimp. Victoria choir sang better at Mass Parry and Vierne and we had the blessing of engaged couples. To big iftar at Hyderi Streatham. Excellent talks on worship by Rabbi Mark Solomon (worship in the home, sang Psalm 23) Fr David Howell (Abraham and Thomas Aquinas) and the imam (3 types of worshipper slave, business man and free). Nice food and banana drink and trifle. Good to see Habib and William Rhind.

Mass and Henry played very happily eating an orange. To Penge congregational for a light-hearted programme on the fine Lewis organ. 30 there Penge festival. To Acton. Library backlog now only 3 shelves! Michael Dorey excellent on doubting Thomas at Hinsley room only 8 there. To Natural history museum fab wildlife photographer of the year. St Stephen's Gloucester Road fine art especially Sarah Bryant. English Baroque choir were rehearsing. To Sisters of Sion for Cardinal Bea lecture which was very interesting. Fr Andrew Gadney and Jonathan Gorsky excellent on Divinu Afllente Spiritu. Archbishop Kevin, John O'Toole, Rabbi Mark, Michael Barnes, William Rhind. Harriet Crabtree told me my emails were going to spam and use Mailchimp. 

To Emertons to get iron water and Addiscombe to take curtains to be dry cleaned. Tram and train to Victoria for interfaith group with Rabbi Mark on the afterlife and funerals. Fascinated by the Talmud idea of heaven as a dance around God. Many Jews do not believe in an afterflife! 11 there. Train and tram to St Michael's for recital by Peter King of Bath Abbey. Excellent JSBach, Pescetti sonata which I play, Graham Fitkin's Wedding, Alfred Hollins Maytime Gavotte and Mendelssohn. Home for lunch and Liz busy in the garden. She went to hospital and chorus. I cut up lounge carpet while listening to evensong from Westminster Abbey featuring Byrd. Ironing and emails. To Westminster cathedral for recital by Colin Walsh.Stanford, George Bennett, Franck, Tournemire, Langlais, Litaize and Vierne Toccata. Met Liz on train. Watched excellent play about John Lennon and his poor relationship with his father and his son. Hot today.

Monday finished at 2 and to hospital and Dennis still with us. Grandma much brighter. Alison her neighbour came to see her and gave useful advice about care homes. We also saw the consultant and Dennis spoke to the psychiatrist. I went to Catenians and Liz went to hospital and on to Bow to collect the Z bed for Claire. Good meeting. Tuesday worked till 8 - sorted out game plan on new system (still not working right), staff meeting. Reading group lively and discussed Goodman's Intuition - equally divided between those who liked and those who could not finish it. Ruth had picked up some interesting nuances in the book I had missed. Wednesday to Croydon NHS and helpful chat to doctor. My right ankle still bothering me - strange itch under skin. Home and then to Liberal Jewish synagogue St John's Wood. Rabbi Mark gave us a full tour and we saw the Torah scroll - the bar mitzvah boy's achievement is amazing - no vowels and no cantillations. Mark sang beautifully for us and also ...

Tuesday finished at 2 p.m. Liz at Good shepherd Mass and hospital and then to Bedford Park for Rossini rehearsal. She made a delicious cake and Alan and Berna Foden arrived from Cambridge around 4.30. We sat in the garden and enjoyed Earl Grey tea and cake. Alan was in my schoolclass and has just retired. Berna is Catholic and we had such an interesting chat. She takes her housekeeper's daughter to the same school that her children went to. But the mothers will not take their children to the school where their servants children go because of sport and nothing to talk about! They went off to for a meal on the way back and I went to the hospital. Grandma making slow progress. Wednesday to Croydon to NHS centre and coffee afterwards. To Interfaith group meeting with Rabbi Mark on "Christ through Jewish eyes". Very interesting - 2 of the newcomers were out of order and had to be told politely not to try and convert the rabbi. Jon Dal Din very supportive and the rabbi was ver...

Keeping up the 40 lengths each day and tai chi on Monday too. Wednesday to Hinsley room for cathedral interfaith group at 10.55 so we could observe the 2 minute silence. Rabbi Mark Solomon was excellent and dealt well with interruptions - 18 came and some new faces. Some were a bit too vociferous - good that Jon Dal Din and Sr Hilda came. To Croydon for Biobank online questionnaire and tests on my health - quite interesting and it took 2 hours. To St Ethelburga's in the City for 6.30 - 12 there. Workshop on non-violence building on the example of Jesus and Martin Luther King. David Witton excellent and lots of Power Point but it would have been good to let us talk a bit! My first event there - Chris Hewer gave me a tour - it is a lovely space. Thursday Liz to chorus for MacMillan. Friday the 13th a grim wet day. Bad flood from public toilet in library. RA showed no common sense at all as flooded last night and she got wrong number for emergency services. Choir practice started on s...