The organist librarian

Planning next pictures at art. Sketched Henry. 5 of the art group will visit Journeys in hope on the 29th. Liz on way to Newcastle. Father Brown enjoyable.Copying sheets for the refresher day on Monday. Quite a bit of babysitting coming up! Couples come dine with me was fun! Press release for the exhibition. Listened to Rowan Williams on Staging the sacrifice talk for Arts and Christianity which I have now joined.

Wed the car was taken away for £150 repair to wing and door and we have a pale blue Kia to drive. Ivan transferred the baby seat. To see Dr Ojo - wear and tear on knee, asked to be referred to Bowley Close about shoes, fungal cream for left thigh. One cholesterol is up so no red meat, cheese, chocs, cream cakes! For three months - oh dear and it's not even Lent! The worst is cut back on biscuits! Watched Father Brown, twins trying to give up smoking, Bronx Zoo, Chester zoo. Thursday tired again and snow and ice so did not drive at all no Mass or art. Richard from the National Secular Society addressed the South London interfaith group lunch meeting. We look forward to more discussion! I do not agree that religion and politics can be separated. There was not enough time to defend church schools but I did mention closure of adoption agencies and abortion was mentioned as well. 

Mosaic. Benjamin Newlove played well at St Michael Cornhill. Certainly knocked the spots of Mendelssohn 4! To Forest Hill to see Ros. Beckenham circle attracted 30 with sausage and mash. Watched Couples come dine with me, Bronx Zoo and sporting icons.   Noel Rawsthorne died. Father Brown was good. 

Swam and Stuart at Mass. This must be one of my favourite gospels. Zechariah's incredulity mirrors Thomas. At the funeral of Jim Fitzpatrick MC at East Grinstead his silver medal of the Guild of St Stephen was placed on the coffin, the second reading was the martyrdom of Stephen and the prayer of the Guild was read at the end. He came to Catenian Six provinces Mass at Westminster cathedral and attended the annual servers Mass at Arundel cathedral. The parish priest described him as big,lovely, gruff! May he rest in peace. Father Brown on TV again - great! Seen it before but it is really great. I went to quiet time but head full of carols! Carol service at St John Caterham Valley went really well. We sang In the bleak midwinter Darke and Rutter Nativity carol and Shepherds Pipe carol. 17 in the choir and it was lovely to have Louise Maher and the boys there. Mulled wine and mince pies. I cam back on the train with Alan Rainer. Good to start a relationship with Sacred Hear...

Passion Sunday played Bach Erbarm dich and Brahms Herzliebster Jesu. Excellent talk by Frances Young on Construing the Cross at St Paul's. I made the point that so many hymns are about me and she says her next project is to look at corporate responsibility. Maybe it is good to look closely at the theology behind hymns. Stations this evening effective meditations from Mary's Point of view. I played voluntaries on Rockingham, St Bernard and Herongate as we sang It is a thing most wonderful. Monday swam 12, mass, mosaic, qigong. To West Norwood to take Bruce's floor pieces to Emmaus and post office. To Norwood circle and installation of Juan and Declan. My official visit and John Barrie came from Croydon. Harry Mellor also there. Did not sleep well. To Mass and decided to stay home. Liz to hospital for scan. University challenge, Father Brown, fishing leopards Tom and I at quiet time - trees have been cut down. Adrian and Fr Joe both retiring!  Last Wednesday I was intervie...

Tuesday started my new blog John Woodhouse's story. Watched Father Brown X 2. Liz got new furniture for the bedroom. Went over to Acton. On Wednesday the painter came. I was very lethargic and coughing a lot so took it easy and read The Tablets. Liz stayed as Tom was in Norwich and Louise was out. I cam home to a warm bed and slept well. Staying home Thursday missing interfaith breakfast and art and have cried off guiding tomorrow as well.

To Burns Night at Holy Trinity convent Bromley. This was my official Bromley circle visit and I presented the icon. There was a good contingent from Tunbridge Wells not so many from Bromley. Enjoyed chatting to Andrew and Anna the vicar at Bromley parish church. The food was excellent including haggis duly piped in, cochaleekie soup and cranagh with whisky. The speeches were long and not very understandable apart from the ladies! Lie-in Friday and doing emails including Old Johannian reunion. Phone call from Trail finders managing director and we will get a voucher. he felt the advice we got was not good enough although I think Julian did his best. The Singapore hotel will be rechecked. Watched Father Brown and University challenge.

Swam. Not the greatest day - set off the alarm when I got up early to make tea. Had a call to say computer hacked and went onto screen - big mistake as Geoff Hunter of Blue Mist wanted me to pay £415 for lifelong protection - luckily the payment did not go through and I reported it and will get a new debit card. Very upsetting. To Dulwich picture gallery to see Winifred Knights paintings - lovely. Watched University challenge, Fake or fortune, Father Brown. Provincial council at Swanley went well - Peter Tibke spoke on vocations.

Lie-in and finished the Tablet. Discovered George McKay Brown The Harrowing of Hell on Peter Tyler's blogspot. To Amerley to practise on the Wyvern and saw Fr Stuart. He gave me a bottle of wine! More coming to OJ dinner and John Thing rang about it. Father Brown X 3. Sorted all organ music into order. Dennis came for dinner and we had pork and almond tart. Delicious. Easter from King's.

Swam 20 and did some reading around the Stations and the Coexist site. To Caterham for choir practice Jill and 4 singers. We went through everything for Holy Week - lots of sightreading. There are some good ideas Psalm 22 to chant on Good Friday and all the psalms at the Vigil! Train at 7 back at 10! Had a quiet day and watched Father Brown, Great interior design challenge and Mary Berry's Easter feast. Dear John, This Easter, Premier Christianity has embarked on a dramatic new project called The Stations. The Stations is a photography project created in collaboration with creative director, Marksteen Adamson, reflecting on the Stations of the Cross and the suffering of Jesus through images and stories of today's refugees. The traditional ‘stations of the cross’ are a series of 14 images depicting the stages of Christ’s journey on Good Friday. This unique photographic study is a parallel journey retold through the lives a...

A quiet day at home and caught up on TV especially Father Brown. Lz went to choir practice and the pub. Booked for oil painting course with Nelson. 

To mosaic and tai chi with Hendrika. Watched Father Brown, Royal Navy school and University chalenge. To Beckenham Catenian meeting.

To Tamar's and Seán singing the African song! We went to Kew to see the lovely orchids and I saw a couple I used to know at Battersea Park library. We had lunch "sharing is caring" says he! He had the playground to himself and Climbers and Creeper. I said 5 minutes. When we were leaving he said I didn't get my 5 minutes! When he went down the slide again I found a Crunchie in the buggy pocket. He said "Where did you get that?" That would be telling says I. We arrived at school to find Liz and Ciaran had gone. I went to St John Caterham to play for the 7.30 service. Took 90 minutes on trains and I was early. Small elderly choir but a fine 3 manual. I know Jill Caudle from 10 pin bowling and Anne-Marie Garton from spiritual direction is the vicar's wife. Back at Acton by 10.30. Walked to school for Year 1 assembly which was sweet. Be still and Ciaran reading very well. I went to art. Watched Father Brown and Story of China. To Stratford to see fabulous Jo...

Woke early so updated funeral plans and swam 20. To mosaic and painted ceramic tiles to be fired. 7 at tai chi. For some reason Tony asked the new lady if she prayed and had sex!! Home to see Father Brown, antiques quiz and Come dine with me also programme on Hawaii. SSG has a new website.  Mary Crinnegan and Emily McCulloch came to visit! I was at Catenians so missed them.  Dennis Woodhouse  came to visit the circle.

Another wierd dream and restless night. Dreamed we were in a grotty white hotel at the seaside and the sea came right up round the hotel. In the morning Liz had breakfast first and I came down to find nothing to eat so I put a scone someone else had left on a plate. I then had to find a garden to eat breakfast and climbed with difficulty over barbed wire. Meanwhile the scone turned green! Liz went swimming and to mass for St Agnes her saint's day. Went to art. I did Catenian council minutes and provincial return. Watched Father Brown and antiques quiz. To South London catenian meeting and dinner when Don Farino got his 50 year scroll from the Grand President Peter Woodford. David Haswell was there from Abergavenny. Home at 11. 

Took Seán to Gambado Beckenham while Liz sang at funeral at St John's. He had a great time and we had lunch there. Went on carousel and dodgems together. I finished reading Monks and Muslims and started on Laudato Si' again. He slept so went to mosaic workshop West Norwood to get framed wood for portrait mosaic and prepared photo of Seán for it. More research on war graves and where they are. Louise rang when he was coming out of the bath and he was very reluctant to sleep! Watched Dickensian. Saturday Dennis came down and watched Snowchick about penguins. Took Seán home - Louise had a good time in New York and brought Lego sets. Mass at Holy Redeemer Chelsea with the Canon Provost speaking beautifully and heard well  - lovely church, small organ, cross on altar obscures view of priest! Watched programme on Goya and Father Brown and Great Barrier Reef/

Nice Leonidas chocs from Bruce! Lovely card from Liz. I have nearly finished reading my present FJ's autobiography and have ordered the new Hilary Mantel as my present from Louise. Swam 20 and one of the simmers is also going to South Africa, the other to San Francisco! Took car to do tyres and got petrol then found I did have my debit card so form filled in and paid it later in the day! Car valeted for £60 - 6 hours work. To mosaic and Liz's fruit cake much appreciated and they sang Happy Birthday! The flower ladies had some too. Made 3 small mosaics and grouted them in the evening. Tai chi and then to Balham to get wrapping paper and books on South Africa. Collected car and paid for valet service. Watched University challenge. Prepared photos for clock Louise gave us some time ago! Watched University challenge. Bruce and Dennis on Skype and Louise rang. Lots of Face book messages. Watched Father Brown episode.

Swam 20. Did some looking up on Meister Eckhart. To Bromley library to get scores - 3 of them could not be found in stacks. Sandwich and coffee chatting to couple and gave out fliers for the Sunday series -  a couple of people asked for directions. Chris Town was there. A stunning recital by Tak who is 22 and has just graduated at the Royal College. Vierne, Muffat, Buxtehude , dancing Bach, Howells and Mulet - the last my Dad would have said "The crossing gates are open!" She is clearly a name to watch! Had very nice dinner on return home and Liz went to Chiswick. Cardiff singer of the world and a programme on Ian Banks and Father Brown. 

Woke too early and took Liz to station for daytrip to Leicester to visit parish with good parish plan. To mosaic - did 2 small ones and cut my forefinger. Tai chi and to Balham library. Met Mike Cornford in the street - he looks well (he had serious asthma from building works at Northcote library) and swms at Cheam where he met Liz one day.  Went downstairs and the store is a mess - found a lot of scores for Proms and weighed down with Wagner. Ordered books for dissertation. To Bromley circle of Catenians - Bill there. Dull meeting in too large a room where things cannot be heard! What was unusual was that Bill bought me a drink and I bought him one. Normally drinks are paid for by the host circle. Add to that £2 for raffle and £1 to park! Watched Father Brown episode before I went out. Fell asleep reading and woke in the night - found my glasses and the missing pyjama shorts under the bed! Dream about interfaith contacts!

Had a nice lunch. At evensong we sang Batten and Purcell O Lord my God. Watched Father Brown, Antiques road show. The Village continues to be pretty bleak!  Interesting story from Canon Moger yesterday about a faithful churchwarden who had been a builder and was moved to tears by a simple service where he could light candles, burn incense and move stones. He said he had found God. Some of is are doers and need to do something like sprinkle holy water on a coffin (even at a crematorium!), soil on the coffin, lay a flower or light a candle. Liturgy can be too static. Another story from yesterday wedding party wanted Harry Potter theme as the rings were delivered by an owl!