The organist librarian

To art and cake and photos from the party much appreciated. The Bowes museum Spanish paintings at the Wallace collection are splendid especially the El Greco having recently been in the Prado and Toledo. Cannot say the same about Jasper Johns at Royal Academy. The new loos are a great improvement! I did not go to Dali\Duchamp as I can't stand the Surrealists. Super evensong with combined cathedral and Abbey choirs at Westminster Abbey Victoria and Schutz. Very inspiring to see the boys so close.  Peter Stevens  played the Durufle Toccata brilliantly. Good turnout from the cathedral and I told the Dean SSG will be there tomorrow. John East and Marko there. Some bod tried to stop me sitting in the 4th row with cathedral folk so I told him why I was sitting there and that I had been to the Abbey before. He said lots of people have not. Later he beetled off to the choir. Very officious. Redid letter to Brendan. Watched Simon Reeve in Russia and Bake off extra slice.

The Manager Thornton Heath Leisure centre Dear Sir/Madam, Yesterday 9/10/17 at about 8.40 a.m. I was finishing my swim. As you can see from the enclosed diagram I was swimming on my back next to the edge in the lane nearest to the attendant. I noticed an elderly woman who comes regularly to the pool. She wears a black cap, black costume and black “flippers”. She swam down the pool in the same lane as me and did exercises in the corner. When I started my length, she was still doing the exercises. She swam into me on her front and said “That was a bit of a surprise wasn’t it?” I replied that it certainly was and what was she doing? She refused to listen to me and spoke to the attendant who was right next to both of us. (I had not seen him before although I come on most days – a bearded young man). She apparently asked him to move the sign to swim in a circle from the second lane to the lane where we were swimming. To my surprise he went and moved the sign. I waited to speak to t...

Henry came today and that was fun. To lunch at Toby Carvery with Beckenham circle brothers and widows - delicious and very reasonable. To quiet time at St John Upper Norwood but Fr Tom not there - lovely to sit in the church. Liz at servers council. Watched Bakeoff. Did emails and form about green spaces under threat. Christmas list of practices. Who is cute?

I went back to tai chi today after a long gap thanks to the Proms, Spain and Belmont. We did a Japanese exercise The Cycle of Life.  Benjy Bloor  played superbly at Brompton Oratory. That organ really speaks like a voice singing! Good to see  Marko Sever  .Nice to meet Benjy's wife and they enjoyed Bali. Marko is playing at the cathedral Jan 28th. Saw Paddy Russill and Charles Cole. 

Woke early. Bruce left at 5 a.m. It was lovely to see him. 2 dilemmas have been resolved. At church Margaret spoke about the incident last Sunday evening. She was the one who commented that we did not want people like A in our church! I pointed out that the doors were wide open and we had to welcome everybody whatever their views. Also that I could not control the behaviour of people joining the choir. I agree that A did have a go at Jerry but I don't think she was rude. Annoyed at the cleaner's behaviour and the lack of publicity for evensong but not rude. Her timing was not great! Any way I complimented Jerry on his sermon on the vineyard and welcome and he commented on Facebook about it too. I played well too after the boost from Belmont. I now have a speaker for Oct 18th to replace Sheikh Ramzy.  Qaisra Khan has kindly agreed to come and speak on  mental health and spirtuality/faith. "How our faith can contribute to our wellbeing" This will be on  Wednesday Octo...

Played Couperin Benedictus and Dubois Grand Choeur. We sang Thee we adore. A good sermon from  Jerry Garton  you can read it on the website. It was on welcome. He does not like The Apprentice it makes me laugh!  The 181 party at St John Upper Norwood was a great success - the Bold Balladiers were great and Terry took the photos. Evensong was a delight and everybody enjoyed it so much. Walmisley in D minor, Rachmaninov Bogoroditse, Ireland Greater love, Angels voices, Nun Danket Karg-Elert and Father hear the prayer which he had at out wedding. Fr John gave an amusing address. What a happy day! Great to have all the family together and so many friends from the different parts of our lives - Catenians, interfaith, Gallery Prommers, art, church. Richard Peregrine who started school with me in Joburg aged 6 and of course  Michael Goldthorpe  who came out to South Africa when I was 15. Lots of cards and contributions for CAFOD and Musicians fund - thank you all!...

First the crisis with the cleaner and the comments after choral evensong on Sunday, then having to cancel to talk on dementia awareness in November and great unhappiness over that, then Sheikh Ramzy cancels October 18th talk so woe! Trying to get another speaker. On the plus side encouragment at Belmont from the group and George, a kind email from Philip explaining things in a better way and now this morning a delightful coffee and cake concert by the London Mozart Players sextet at St John's. Mozart Divertimento and Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence what a joy and a large audience. The wit and the passing of melodies from cello to violin - a delight. Nancy is 93. Ian is coming tomorrow and so is Fr Andrew. Hovering around 30/40 at the moment. We got home at 6.45 last night and I collected Bruce at 9.45 at East Croydon - great to have him home. He has gone to Louise's. Collected the cake from Alena in Tooting and it is a triumph!  German choir from Bernkastel at Mass sang Pales...