Paralympics

To the Olympic Park - left car near Norwood Junction. Long queues at Canada Water to Whitechapel and to West Ham. A long walk over several bridges about 25 minutes and arrived in the stadium a little late - security very easy. It was a lovely day. We saw athletics shot put, discus, long jump and several medal ceremonies including David Weir. The cheering for a team GB member is amazing - it was full - 80,000 rejoicing. The Brazilian national anthem is rather like Rossini and the Ukranian one like a folk song. Came home on Jubilee line - another long walk to Stratford but cheered along by the delightful volunteers! Tp pre Prom on choices of books for Desert Island discs with Mariella Fostrup and Tim Rice. I asked a question about novels quoting Elif Sharak and mentioning Parade's End character who corrected the Encyclopaedia Britannica! Met Andrew in queue who is a church musician from Watford and a physics teacher -very interesting. The prom was a delight apart from Wayne Marshall changing the Toccata and fugue in D minor - even ending in the major! I emailed him and had a moan on Face book! Eric Coates, Puccini arias, Elgar cello concerto, Emperor concerto. Nice to have many guests on stage incl David Attenborough and Patricia Routledge, Michael Parkinson and Sue Lawley. Roy Plomley used to come in to Putney library when I worked there - always charming. Home late. Heard a pre prom I missed on Elgar's private life.