The organist librarian

Swam 20. To CML and got 4 scores. Liz just got to Cadogan in time. Alice Coote was indisposed but Anna Schwanewilms accompanied by Malcolm Martineau was a delightful replacement and she sang Debussy and Strauss. To Somerset House and had a look at the rudeboys photos and after picnic Colour in the work Josef Albers, Anni Albers and Gary Hulme then to the Courtauld for the prints from Breughel to Freud and some of the collection has been rehung. The cheaper Monday price is going from Monday. To St Martin's in the Fields and had a look in the Dick Sheppard chapel (statues were dedicated by Desmond Tutu and I was present) and drawings for the Bible by Annie Vallotton and touching pictures of Indian untouchable children from Hyderabad. To the National Portrait gallery for the Virginia Woolf special exhibition. Had to wait several times to look in the cases and the BP portrait award was very crowded. To Royal Academy for Stephen Hopper the lost album interesting that the cross appears ...

Monday swam 28. To mosaic and tai chi, Liz to meet new tutor and mentor and to confirmation class. To St Martin's in the Fields to hear black theologian Robert Beckford on radical compassion. He sees the Lord's Prayer as a political manifesto! Interesting chat to my neighbour about Constantine. He had some good points but a poor presentation.  Pancakes with nutella, To More than Gold HQ for borough champions meeting. Pleased to see Lindsey and meet Christine from Bromley. We heard of various needs and met in local area groups. Then to Conway Hall for Faith Matters MOMA Measuring anti-Muslim attacks. Mansoor there. Clearly a major problem and Peter Oborne chaired. The Deputy mayor for London did not show but we heard from Simon Hughes and Eric Pickles. Javed Khan from Victim support and I spoke to him afterwards about professionals feeling they must leave their faith outside the door at work. Impassioned appeal from a young woman. Pity there was no question time. Sat in Red Lion...

Monday to Branch development team - we had a useful discussion about small branches and their needs. To St Martin's in the fields for Churches together in Westminster visit and tour with the curate Richard. The vicar welcomed us and spoke about the £36 million refurbishment and rebuilding. It was great to see the Neville Marriner and Desmond Tutu rooms and the Dick Sheppard chapel. This was nearly finished when I went to hear Desmond Tutu dedicate the Zimbabwean statues. Nice eats and wine and met several cathedral people and Bloomsbury Baptists and 2 priests from Farm Street.

The former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu has asked for forgiveness on behalf of South Africa for the recent xenophobic violence against foreigners. He was speaking on Monday, 9th June, at St Martin in the Fields, the famous London church on Trafalgar Square, where he blessed three Zimbabwean sculptures which have been positioned near a room named in his honour. Archbishop Tutu recalled that South Africans had taken refuge in other African countries during the apartheid years and said the attacks on foreigners were unacceptable. But on the positive side, South Africans had been horrified and many had been wonderful in offering help to the victims. Turning to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Tutu said it used to be a showpiece in Africa: “It has now turned into the most horrendous nightmare”. He called for a peacekeeping force to be sent to Zimbabwe and advised Mugabe: “How about stepping down? Oppression will not have the last word. Freedom will come to Zimbabwe.” Archbish...