Oxford trip

After much planning by email the great day dawned. Got Oxford tube at 8.05 a.m. To church of SS Edmund and Frideswide Greyfriars Hall and played small Darke organ and large one - not a comfortable console. Bought "Organs of Oxford" from John Brunsden. Bus into town to St Peter's College. Roger Allen pointed out the Croydon connections and Jonathan Lowe played Mendelssohn on the fine Willis. JL had conducted Don Giovanni in the chapel! To Balliol where Jonathan Turner showed us the Hall organ in need of repair and the chapel organ which is a Harrison. To Holywell music room where Katharine Pardee demonstrated the Donaldson organ of 1790. We all loved Wadham college chapel's Willis and I played some Willan on it. Katharine played Mendelssohn sonata no. 4 beautifully.
Had fish and chips and bitter at King's Head with Chris Town and Peter. To St John's College chapel for the new Aubertin which was seriously out of tune! Martin Stokes welcomed us. To Lincoln college where Jonathan Turner is the scholar. What a nice young man from Blackburn. The organ is due to be redone and the Wesley Room was interesting. Jonathan also showed us Jesus College chapel - this is a fine Drake organ. Interesting to see a grand piano in front of the altar! Time for a quick cuppa and to Magdalen for evensong and a recital by organist of Harrow school David Woodcock. Parry Great service and Elgar "The spirit of the Lord". The organ unsuitable for these but very well sung and a notable bass and treble soloists. Oxford tube back and reading autobiography of Arthur Wills. Saw and heard 10 organs only one of which was unplayable!
Liz had met Australian Catenians at mass and was invited to dinner at the Rubens Hotel so I joined in time for dessert and met several brothers I knew from Sydney! Home at 11.30 exhausted but happy! We spent our first night together after our wedding at the Rubens Hotel in 1974!