The organist librarian

Woke at 6 so caught up on Proms talks on Dylan Thomas, Janet Suzman on Taming of the shrew nd Ravel's home. Put up the new CD rack in the study after assembly and ordered picture frames. Used the Gerard Hulme picture frame for the bottles and it looks good. Watched the Butterworth and RVW Prom - Roderick Williams has amazing expression and diction. To vespers (3 new priests) and Mass with Fr John third Saturday in a row because he and Alexander on the only priests who can sing the Mass at the moment. He takes longer over the offertory and sermon. Amazingly we just got to the Prom in time and seats as well. BBCSO conducted by Oramo with his wife Anu Komsi hitting the very high notes in Szymanowski and Tiensuu. Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov. Parked at West Norwood becasue of the football and home at 11.15.

Chris came to paint the door frame in the kitchen and plastered the back wall. Lovely day for it! Family Eucharist 30 there including lots of little kids! We did sing "Hail the day" and the Groves piece on Llanfair got a clap before the service! The rest of the hymns Make way. Majesty, All heaven declares and Jesus is Lord! all a bit too evangelical for my taste. I did play a Stanley voluntary and Bach prelude for Ascension. To St Paul's cathedral for Dr Peter Tyler's excellent talk on Teresa of Avila - he is amusing and engaging. I asked about interfaith and he was delighted to plug the St Mary's conference I am going to! To South Norwood country park for a lovely walk on my own. Home for tea and got petrol then to St Dominic Waddon for Mass for vocations for the circle. Only Derrick and Sheila were there! The brothers have had plenty of notice of these events! The organist was competent but seemed to use the same stops throughout. Fr Paddy is delighted with the...

We set off on the X68 and I asked Liz if she had the senior railcards. She went home and came on the train so we all got the train OK. Taxi to Bowen House which is very near Park Grove and very comfortable and turned out to be great value at £70 for b and a huge breakfast! We had a look at No. 22 and walked round the Monkbar walls. Went to Banks with Dennis and he bought me the 90th birthday tribute book to Francis Jackson with CD and I bought him an organ tutor by David Sanger. Champagne tea at Bettys was as always very special. We then walked the walls from Jewry to Monkgate and back to the hotel. I tried No. 22 again and a woman came to the door and said she was getting ready to go to work and shut the door! Wednesday we went to York cemetery and David was very helpful finding the records and taking us to the graves. Thank goodness we had photos of the graves and a spade for clearing brambles and earth! We bought a book about the cemetery. Dennis drove us to North Otterington and ...