The organist librarian

Swam 20. Great chat to Ann for her 60th and saw Owen and Mick - ginger! Annoyed with Tony - 9 there and he insisted on this stupid marching exercise which was too fast and 3 of us sat down. I suggested "The grand old duke of York" which worked better.  We then had a long meditation and I dropped off. I did not go to lunch as the official lunch is Jan 30th.   The Fire exhibition at the Museum of London is very child friendly and interesting. Loved see the Lord Mayor's coach and the 2012 Olympics cauldron. Watched Prince Harry in Lesotho and Vienna.

Woke at 7. Father's Day. My lunch will be on Wednesday at Carluccios as I have to be here for the composite recital.  Chatted to Ann on phone. My Blackberry is playing up. Ann and Paul arrived in Nuremberg via Dubai where they went up the world's highest building. They want to go on the Eye and see The Audience. Also the Shard. I suggested Billy Elliot and Buckingham Palace. Paul is now a senior! 

Christmas letter now sent out mostly on email. To Topp tiles to get grout and to Post Office. Letter to Oz now costs £1.10! Decorations are all up. Cleaned out water features in garden as we had soft snow this morning. Watched the end of The Slap - very well done. Huon pine pademelon came from Ann - her 55th birthday today. So it went straight on to the tree. To choir and Tony asked about playing the choir in! Vickie is away for Christmas.

We are about to go to the airport and I am just reflecting on a delightful time with Ann and Paul. We go to Bangkok and then home on Wednesday!

Phone the Tate - snowdoors sculpture This retirement lark is great! Wake early and get breakfast and read prayers and meditations. Back to bed for warm lie-in. Snow everywhere - 6 inches on top of 5 inches Wed. Managed to dig out path but that got covered twice! Got to car and rescued food and cards and cake. No sign of the cheque with the cards so another will have to be issued - Andrew funny about that on email. Must have gone in the bin. Wed. watched the Apprentice - Laura got chucked out. No way I could get to spirituality day on Wed - no trains, buses not coming down hill. Thursday drew up list of jobs and cleared top rooms into the garden to make snowdoors art display with dustbins! Another trip to the car in Whitworth Road - some idiots still trying to drive up our road! Got 468, 196 and tube from Brixton to get to chorus. Stefan said Vivaldi was very good and then after carols did 3 movements again. I got home OK by same route. It was cold! Watched Art of Cornwall and The Divin...

On the 9th I worked and to Vespers and Mass - Liz and I were a little late as on the bus. Fr Michael at mass. Train home. I always think this feast is intriguing. Why did Jesus have to be baptised? I think it was to show him and everyone around who He was. The voice from heaven is the whole point. He is then driven into the wilderness and begins his ministry with that amazing statement at Nazareth - "this day this prophecy is fulfilled". On the 10th we sang a lovely setting of "Come down O love divine" by Hilary Tadman-Robins born 1947 one year after me and I played Bach's "Christ the Lord to Jordan came" which was one of Dad's party pieces. I was rather chuffed I got the pedal part right. The left hand running semiquavers are more tricky. Spent the afternoon taking the tree and decorations down but the crib stays up until Candlemas. The tree in the front garden will have to stay for the moment because of the snow! The boxes are still waiting to go...

At this family time we remember with love those who have gone before us and rejoice with us but up on another shore and in a greater light. Dad loved Christmas so much and poured himself into preparations for it. Mum would produce wonderful meals and somehow get those pillows full of presents under the tree ready for when we came back from Midnight Mass - a crazy time to open presents of course! These plaques are now in St John's Glebe after a 3 year wait! Liz's Dad used to enjoy the Albert Hall concerts and all the fun of the family at Christmas. K would produce lovely gifts and always do the washing up after Christmas lunch. And what fun we had - who can ever forget Dolly laughing over the little bird waddling across the table from a cracker! Even Sheila would join in. Ann here when Dennis was a baby was so special and the one Christmas we had away from home in Tasmania when Dennis was 1. Hiding desks for the children with Mrs Earl next door. And always carol services and mi...

Swam 32. Did not have a towel so Liz kindly brought one and then found she had not brought one for herself. She was busy at the cathedral with roses and serving at the farewell liturgy. She brought home some lovely red roses. I had lunch at 11 because of staff on leave. To chorus for open rehearsal of Carmina with Nick. "Northern tenor" wants us to go to Spode week! Spoke to Ann on Skype about Bet's funeral. The dog who came in from the cold by McCall Smith continues to entertain!

Just been working on plans for next year and trying to fit in 3 organs in Holborn on March 27th. Spoke to Ann and looked at the lovely photos on facebook from Claire's 21st. Bad duststorm in Sydney also featured on Facebook. Also discovered Edward Davey's blog and SSG correspondence following PMM.

Able to chat to Ann as we have a new mike and headphones set. Dennis is coming over at the weekend so Royal Academy card will be useful on Saturday morning. John came in last night to tighten up connections under sink and he tried to lift manhole cover. Liz was at servers council meeting for which she now takes minutes. Several nice replies to emails at work about using the library more.

Clocks went back an hour and Fr Pat not there for 8 a.m. so I went to front desk and Angel called him! Met John and Brenda from Caterham who know Tony Charlier. Chat to Fr Pat at breakfast. A day at sea. Talk on the environmental policies of the line and engine room talk. Amazing towel folding demos and back stage tour. Christopher the excellent male singer lead signed my programme - he is from North Minnesota. They rehearse the shows for 5 weeks in Los Angeles. The dancers are very slick. One of the women singers I did not like much - she tried to sing a Sarah Brightman number and it did not work. Wednesday June 25. Reception put on by Thomas Cook for our coach group - took group photos. Swam - only my second swim in the week! Good show Streetsongs. Dancing in Ocean bar and our last dinner together and said goodbye to Ann and Paul after a fabulous week together. Slept badly and Liz up to see docking at Vancouver. Thursday June 26. To Stanley Park, Grouse Mountain - amazing cable car, ...

Had a swim and jacuzzi. At breakfast in the mall Liz said Ann had said there is a baby beluga white whale at the aquarium so we went to the Tourist bureau and they sold us tickets and gave us bus directions. We saw the whales, sea lions, sea otters and dolphins. Fantastic aquarium in Stanley Park with tropical displays and local sea life. Bus back to town and in good time to check out and walk over to the cruise terminal. Saw Ann and Paul in the immigration queue - going into U.S. for Alaska. Great to see them both again. Our cabin on the bottom floor and it has 2 portholes. This proved an advantage as when there was any rolling we did not get it very much. Ann and Paul's a similar size but inside on top decks. The suites with windows and balconies look fabulous but really no need to pay so much as we spent all the time out of the cabin! The food is plentiful and fantastic! Did a tour of the ship to get orientated - it was good it was 1700 - those 3000 capacity ships would be prett...

To Vespers at 5 p.m. with combined choirs of the Abbey and cathedral.This was an invented first vespers for St Philip and St James with a lovely hymn setting by Praetorius. I was acolyte. Wonderful sound in Marenzio Magnificat and Bruckner Os justi. When the boys went for the high note in the Bruckner it was quite thrilling! Bach Toccata in C at the end. There was a good congregation too - Martin Ball was there. Liz could not make it as Grandma was ill. she had taken Bruce to Dorking (he came last night) and been to Bow to meet the plumber. After choir practice Vickie came for a meeting with the choir. I went up to Grandma's but we could not lift her so got the ambulance and Liz spent most of the night at King's. Got election results and spoke to Ann in Washington D.C.

On the bridge, at the Residenz and outside our favourite coffee shop, at the station. Ann and Paul set off on their travels soon after 3 months which has gone quickly!

Up at 3 a.m. to drive to Feltham and park car where minicab met us so we were at Heathrow by 5.10 a.m. We had booked in online for British Airways so went straight through. The flight to Frankfurt was only an hour and very smooth. The pilot greeted us as Boys and girls! We had a long wait at Frankfurt airport for our train direct to Wurzburg. A lovely ride through snowfields. We were early and Ann and Paul had not arrived back from Vienna so we walked into town with out luggage and found a good pub 4 seasons serving Wurzburger Hofbrau. Liz had fish and I had pork. We then went by tram to the apartment which Helga had let them use - very nice. After having pasta we took the tram with Ann to Rottenbauer and found the b and b. A lovely home and very friendly couple. They have lots of picture including a Braque. It is about 20 minutes on the tram. We were both exhausted and slept well.

A lovely photo of Ann enjoying snow. Dennis had a great time touring round with her taking 4 trains from Wurzburg to reach the mountains.

Terrific storm hit UK. Within 2 minutes of leaving home I was wet through. When I got to the pool there were no lifeguards so got early train to work and dried off there. Even my briefs in my trousers pocket were wet so wore swim trunks all day! One leak in children's library. To tai chi - only 4 of us in class no doubt because of the weather. Interviewed Ryan. Turns out he was server at the cathedral 12 noon Mass. He goes to Salesian college with Wisdom and writes to MPs and councillors! He will be an asset I think. Watched "White girl" an outstanding TV play about a Bradford girl who becomes Muslim. Spoke to Ann on skype. Lyn has joined the blog - welcome Lyn and Rosemary! Excellent wedding photo prints have come.

Great photos! Great place!

Ivan's funeral at the cathedral - Simon playing the organ but no singers. Good to see Graham from St John's and James O'Donnell there. First met Ivan at Belmont Abbey on retreat with the late much missed Dom Alan Rees. Ivan was such a nice man. There were 35 at Understanding Islam which was excellent! Liz came too. Skyped Ann and Paul in Wurzburg - they enjoyed Singapore! I have at last finished the rather dry book "How to understand Islam" and now have Chris's book to read!