The organist librarian

A lovely day and we both swam and to the cathedral for Chrism Mass at which we were consecration torches. Our back view on the diocesan website photos. The Mawby Ave verum was thrilling. Haydn Little organ mass and De Angelis. Bishop George going to Cardiff to be Archbishop. An excellent lunch in the hall and lots of people to meet and we chatted to folk in M & S when we went for tea. Liz went to Lancaster Road to see family and I came home to go to Croydon parish church for Couperin tenebrae beautifully sung by Gail Winter and Julie Beaumont and Canon Colin read the gospel beautifully. It was all a little bit camp. Drew in jeans and black open neck shirt. Gave Martin How his 80th birthday card he was pleased. Sex education show and baby born in Auschwitz on TV! Also watched An Island parish about Barra. Wednesday also lovely. Swam and played for funeral at Coulsdon - all went well. Soloist gospel style Amazing grace. I played Pie Jesu at the end. Interesting song played as a tr...

At church we sang Shaw in C minor in 3 parts and a lovely setting by Anthony Greening of Bourgeois' "Virgin-born we bow before thee" also one verse of "O thou who at thy Eucharist didst pray" as I rather felt the week of prayer for Christian unity had been downplayed. The booklet this year is excellent and I used one of the prayers at the interfaith group. I played Walther's partita on "Jesu meine freude" and Isobelle was baptised. To my surprise Vickie again included the Gloria (Peter Jones) and the service was an hour. Molly doing well and I practised Bach and Flor Peeters - I am playing several of his pieces next month. The organ recital at Beckenham is sensibly changed to the 7th at 3 p.m. Picked up Dennis and Grandma and to the Thatched house which is excellent and very child friendly. Ciarán was on good form. Had roast beef and sticky toffee pudding with white wine. What a treat! Took Christmas presents back to Acton and brought back stuff to...

Reality beginning to creep in checking the diary up until Easter and the implications of 9 to 8 twice a week and 9.30 to 6 on alternate Saturdays which will mean going to Mass somewhere else once a fortnight. Still it is an exciting prospect. There have been many congratulations and a feeling of sadness after so many happy years in one building. Choir practice went smoothly and we worked on Byrd's "Senex puerum" and Gibbons Nunc dimittis for Candlemas. Luckily I had changed Saturdays because of Paul Clubb's wedding as in fact the reading group turned up today (RA agreed to cover it next Saturday!) Nearly all did not like "The cleft" by Doris Lessing but I think Gillian and I convinced them there was more to the book than met the eye! A very wet day. Abi is coping very well indeed. To vespers and Mass Fr Kingsley and a new server Eugene. Home to watch Lawrence (of Arabia) Island parish and Chester Zoo. Had a M & S meal of roulades and profiteroles with Mo...

Monday swam 36 and to tai chi - paid for Christmas lunch next Monday after the class. To Odeon Beckenham to watch Glyndebourne Falstaff - an excellent production set in WW2 Windsor full of visual gags. Terence, Adrian, Graham and Peggy there so Liz gave Terence a lift home. About 30 there. I know the opera well as I sang Bardolpho in it. It is a real ensemble piece and a delight! Liz had been to visit Louise. Tuesday watched "The Queen" and "Island parish" also "Life" on the sea. The Queen is an interesting series of 5 docu/dramas at different stages of the Queen's life.

Saturday day off but to the library for the reading group session in the adult. 13 came and met Michael Mail who I had met at a police meeting. He speaks really well and he explained how he came to writing late when he won an Edinburgh short-story competition. He is a Scottish Jew living in North London and is now a full-time writer. "Exposure" is about a Jewish girl who comes down from Leeds to the East End to study photography. One of the group felt that the book was more like non-fiction whereas others loved it and found they wanted to know the ending. Michael pointed out that tragedy was hinted at from the beginning. Suzy gets to know a Jewish community in the East End and the novel plays on the use of a camera as a shield to intrude into people's lives. The lecturer Terry and the other students are well-drawn as are the Jewish characters. There is also an interplay between the nominal faith of Suzy's separated parents and Suzy's rediscovery of her faith thr...

Swam 36 lengths. Tuesday was just one of those days! First a man came to check the emergency lighting. He may have left something on in the toilet because the fire alarm and burgar alarm went off so we cleared the building and found some smoke evidence in the public toilet. Then the front door would not close! I did get to the lunch-time farewell to Becca Jones the Age Concern actitivities co-ordinator who is expecting and met her replacement. Chris Lally rang to say the Plasma screen was now connected with local heritage scenes and events. Watched An Island Parish on TV about the Scilly Isles. The heating failed but was restored!