ST Bartholomew. Chat to Ann. Took LIz up to get bus and checked the roundabout where I hit the pavement. There are black and white posts on the roundabout edge but not on the kerb I hit. There is a pedestrian crossing. To the Garden museum which has a delightful reconstruction of part of Benton End which was an art school in Suffolk. I still think the refurbished Imperial War museum is awful and poorly designed. The exhibition about wartime London is good. Children in war covered a lot of ground but seemed confusing. I walked back through the first rooms but I seem to have missed a corridor to the other rooms. And where are the loos on floor 3? Very badly signposted. Fell asleep twice. Designed painting 3 and registered myself. Only connect, Mastermind, University challenge, Buried with Michael Sheen part 2.
Tuesday woke early to the sad news that Harry Bramma had died at the weekendand there will probably have t be an inquest. Put the news on Facebook and contacted Christopher Town, RSCM and Cathedral Music trust. Lots of nice reactions. Swim. Came home to find Liz not dressed - she had been trying to do the house insurance. Took to the station to go and meet Carole and Kevin at Tate Modern. Unacc - late for Marie's class, nice chat after lunch to 2 ex-librarians and Angela. Quiet time - could not hear Jan as the chairs were not in a square. Paul complained that Danny had left us and came back cutting across me! He really is not good at tunning a group. Chat to Susan about the cleaner and Gail. Picked up Liz and sorted out the house insurance and got a much cheaper deal. To The Odyssey 3 hours and far too much violence. Great acting. Makes me want to read it again! Alas no painting!
Wed Now painting and enjoying Black Dyke Mill’s band Prom. An enjoyable day. Liz to doctor and I went to swim but had to get out after 8 lengths as the pool closes for 30 minutes at 10. I’d forgotten that. Took embroidery and paintings to local Frame shed then practised at the Methodists. To my surprise “God is working his purpose out” is not in Songs of Faith but David found it in the old hymnbook. Delicious cappuccino and pastries at Contraposto. Liz went to M and S to ask about my NHS stick which was left in shopping trolley last Wed. Manager apologised as it seems it had been sent to the charity shop! Fabulous playing from the Met orchestra at the Strauss Prom. Bravo Petroc Trelawny for delightful presentation of the Black Dykes Mills brass band Prom which I much enjoyed while painting and ironing. I learnt a lot!
Thursday Torrential rain! To the Courtauld gallery to meet Nelson Ferreira and enjoy Barbara Hepworth in colour and Nelson pointed out the brushwork in a Pargianimo I had never noticed. Met Liz at Clapham picturehouse to see “Holy days” thanks to a review in The Tablet. Malcolm McCulloch and Kim McEvilly you’d enjoy this and the NZ scenery. It’s fun!Painting to the wonderful accompaniment of the Met orchestra playing Mahler at the Prom with sublime Joyce DiDonato followed by the Gateshead concert with BBC Singers and Voices of the river’s edge. Now BBC singers conducted by Alexander Luken.
A reply from Southwark council highways team but will anything change?
Thank you for your email and for bringing your concerns to our attention.
We are sorry to hear about the damage to your vehicle and the inconvenience this has caused.
Your comments regarding the visibility of the traffic island at Crystal Palace Parade/Fountain Drive have been referred to our engineering teams for review. We have also raised the matter with colleagues responsible for road safety and Vision Zero programmes.
The location may be considered as part of future assessments of road safety improvements within the borough. However, any potential changes would need to be reviewed alongside other priorities and are subject to assessment, funding and programme approval.
We have noted your comments regarding the visibility of the island and the absence of additional delineation at this location.
They did suggest that I claim my costs back from the council but as it was my mistake I am not inclined to take up the offer.,.
Friday to Sainsbury's to get the Sun for Dennis fr a holiday voucher - got it yesterday as well. To Unacc and Liz came to lunch. Painting. Catching up on Proms and Animal Park - fell asleep! 2 great Proms on TV the Met playing Strauss and ASMF horn and bassoon concertos. The 3 paintings are pretty much done just some touching up to do.
Saturday SM from Ithaca with Jack. I was up early. Tyres - surprised to find them all down - did Honda and Kwikfit actually pump them up especially the new tyre! Paintings white touching up done. It's a painstaking business. To Mass. Sermon tonight. God does not want any of us to suffer but later on we learn from suffering. The problem of suffering not really addressed at all! It is part of the human condition to suffer pain and die isn’t it? The first hymn When I survey said far more than the preacher! The last hymn was the ghastly Follow me and leave your friends and familee. Is it sensible for urban folk to sing about leaving boats and newly sown crops? Sadly same thing happening again re TV Proms. Instead of concentrating on this season old items are added into the programmes presumably to save money? Oslo Philharmonic Prom started with Norwegian national anthem and silence in memory of King Haakon. Stravinsky and Prokofiev.
Sunday Played at Beckenham Methodist Gary Sieling Toccata and fugue in D minor and Thiman’s Postlude on Harwood’s Thornbury. A minute’s silence for Dr Harry Bramma before the first hymn so I had to time it. Amazing how long a minute actually is! I was very chuffed that the preacher guessed my age as late 60s! Good to see Charlie Warren over a coffee and he has been to Charleston. A house through time on BBC is fascinating. More painting and impressed by Beethoven 9 Prom with the Philharmonia Chorus in great form. Prom Berlioz Damnation of Faust excellent Choeur de Radio France and fine singing incl Gerard Finley and John Osborn. The conductor Jakob Lehmann is one to watch. Liz’s scores suggests that we sang the work 5 times memorably with Charles Dutoit in Lucerne 1990 and with James Levine in 1994.
Bank holiday Monday chat to Ann in Athens. To Bromley Parish church for an outstanding recital by Thomas Watkin Parry, Stanford, Whitlock, Bridge, Durufle, Darke, Jongen. He starts at St John’s Cambridge next week. I don’t want to knock Olivier Latry but I do think his registrations of Bach at the Prom were strange. Why so many reeds? Reeds become tiresome after a while. There is so much choice at the RAH so why did some of it just sound like a mishmash of sounds? Surely in Bach one should be able to pick out lines? Ah wait a minute he’s French on an English romantic organ. That explains it? Painting and drew painting 4 The Psalms. Only connect, University challenge, the Tattoo. Louise and Tom's 19th anniversary. I looked it up and found my father of the bride speech which is rather good! Bruce and Emma coming on 22nd to 26th.
Tuesday swim and both went to Unacc. Marie's class very good and roast pork for lunch. Beck Meth practice for funeral and Liz stapled the Pope's message together and bought flowers for Tina Bagatti at M and S. Dash back home to get phone charger. I read part of the Pope's message for Sept 1 2026 and gave everybody the whole thing. The discussion was very muddled. The chapel is not suited to this and very few spoke. Stephen's funeral is 11am on Sep 26th at Selsdon so will see family in the afernoon and evening! Painting Psalms organ pipes and listened to prayer service for Day of prayer for creation and watched the Pope;s lovely Mass from Castel Gandolfo. Pity the commentator talked over lovely singing and why was there no translation of the Eucharistic prayer which was Italian and Latin. It's quaint how people in the Vatican think these languages are known across the world! Liz watched it too. SM had not sent a link for the first lecture (this happened before!) Webinar at the Jubilee garden project which seesm to be trying to cover too many things?
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