The organist librarian

Mass and Lauds combined before breakfast. Rain again! Next September it is to be Ampleforth. Returned home from Salisbury via Winchester with a tea stop at Guildford cathedral. 195 miles round trip! We had a most interesting tour of Salisbury cathedral including Magna Carta in the wonderful chapter house and Canon Jeremy Davies joined us and showed us the lovely vestments. We made our little pilgrimage to George Herbert's church St Andrew Bemerton.

Had a lovely overnight stay with Richard and Penny Peregrine at Hartley Whitney. Visited West Grove garden and played the fine organ.I played Handel, Elgar including For the fallen and 2 Pomp and circumstance marches and Crown Imperial. We had coffee at the Women's institute and bought a cake and a plant. The village is very pleasant and has a variety of shops including the organic one where we got chocolate.  Lots of piano and singing before dinner outside and lots of good wine! We also visited Richard's REME mess with fine British paintings on display. Guildford cathedral on the way home - fine Magna Carta banners and quilts. Home by 5. To Shirley golf club for Vincent Cullen Golf day dinner which was good. Long chat to Anne Brant. 

Swam 20 and Liz came. To art and finished the Chennai painting for Fr Renato and started a rugby picture which is the theme of  Thornton Heath Arts Week . Traffic and late running trains meant there was no way I would get to St John's Smith Square to hear Patrick Russill play so went to Royal Academy to see Eileen Cooper's work. She combines Picasso child-like faces with passion! The schools work was pretty awful - one would have thought the standard would have been higher?  Had a M & S picnic in Green Park. The Royal Society of Antiquaries has a good film and small Magna Carta exhibition. To British Museum to see the new Woolfson gallery but all that gold and bling! Exquisite but .....? Served as crozier as Cardinal said Mass of sick and retired clergy fund supporters. Delays getting home and watching third round of  BBC Cardiff Singer of the World . Impressive Mongolian baritone!

Have now done all the recital programmes and copied them. Played Rosalie Bonighton on Hanover and Postlude for ordinary time, also Francis Jackson East Acklam prelude. Only 11 at service taken by Fr Herbert. 23 came to Adrian's excellent recital and I turned for him.Lovely cream tea. At evensong we sang Murrill in E and Walton's Litany. Watched Antiques roadshow and Domingo at the BBC, also Magna Carta today.

Tuesday Brendan came with 2 boxes of Catenian minutes -chucked some already! To lunch at Middle temple with Cate and Kate Allan  - had guinea fowl. Temple Church has excellent Magna Carta exhibiton and WWI panels. Lovely library with portraits of prime ministers. Really enjoyed it. Returned Westminster library book and looked at Queen of Spades score and BBC Music magazine, also CMQ. To Acton and Louise went to New York Wed a.m. Wed to Tamar's and Gunnersbury park for ice cream and sandwiches. Sean seemed a bit off! Thursday to British library Magna Carta exhibiton which is very well done. Liz served at Good Shepherd masses at cathedral. I went to dentist and a long session on root canals! Caught up on blog.

Got up in the night to take Ibuprofen as left ankle hurting and bottom teeth twinges. Swam 20 and we both went  -the woman with the hand paddles annoyed Liz - she is very inconsiderate to other swimmers. BBC coverage from Auschwitz. Drove to Swanley for Catenian provincial council. Luis has vacated all positions so  Fergus of Maidstone stepped up to become Provincial President in April and I offered to be Vice-President as there will not be a provincial weekend this year. It was agreed to say a prayer for the Pope although the original email is probably a scam. It was all quite light-hearted. Drove to Selhurst and in an hour I was at Acton 11.15. Wednesday to Tamar's and Seán was much more interested and liked the train song and animals song. He recognised the maraca. He can be quite naughty and did not sleep all day. Ciaran seemed a bit off colour and came home from Isobel's. Watched Wolf Hall, Up the women and Starkey on Magna carta. 

Left at 7.30 and drove with Paul to Egham (69 miles round trip). His fellow geologist Lloyd White from Sydney and Dom are charming and a nice little house. Visited Royal Holloway and very impressed by the chateau-like buildings - graduations were in progress. Then to Windsor Great Park for a walk in the sun and a great view down to the castle. Lunch at Fox and Hound of sea trout then to Runnymede to see the Magna Carta memorial and Kennedy memorial and cream tea. BBQ at Louise's was great and then left Liz and Ann there and drove home tired but happy!