The organist librarian

Liz up in the early morning to see blood moon. To mosaic, part of Stephen Disley's recital at Southwark cathedral and SPIDIR committee meeting.Updated Christmas card list. Sadly so many are now emails but that is so much cheaper! Connect. University challenge. Liz went to Anerley UCM. Icons. 

To SGI Africa event and excellent banners about Gandhi and peace . UCL event Gandhi quizzes and interesting copying ritual research on autism and reactions to thinking about power and control. Made a badge. Made me feel happy and contented with my life. Love is more important than having power.  2 masses at the cathedral ; the Cardinal celebrated National servers Mass and gave a great homily about icebergs. I looked after offertory and Liz the readers.  Rebecca was everywhere and she was supposed to be sacrstan! I sorted out some poor quality cassocks and cottas were said by her to have been washed 3 weeks ago - they look so dingy. Fr Tony spoke about Missio and South Sudan - he knows Frank Savage and Diana Mills who was there. Watched Bad habits and lost masterpiece. 

A great Gandhi conference at the Wellcome lots of practical ideas. I was amused at the Delhi professor of English dressed in English public school style complete with cravat and his comments on Gandhi's views of education would put him out of a job! He advocated national service in the villages for students in India. Met a Jain studying heritage conservation at UCL and a couple from Northern Ireland. William and Gandhi foundation fold were there. The electricity and nature exhibitions are excellent and good to see a section on zoos. Life drawing at NPG very good and some progress made!

An enjoyable meal at Bella Vita Shirley for President's Friday. Nice that  Dennis Woodhouse  and  Ann- Marie Woodhouse  came. 24 there. Good chat to Steve and Derrick.  To Kingsley Hall Bromley-by-Bow where Gandhi stayed in 1931 and we saw his simple cell. The interfaith seminar for the Gandhi foundation on animal rights. Not quite clear whether one should become vegetarian or vegan or not change diet at all! Certainly vivisection and industrial animal husbandry are unacceptable.  Bloomsbury organ day heard Richard Brasier play Mathias and good buffet. John Scott Whiteley played brilliantly. Bach, interesting Glass, Franck but Liszt which seemed neverending! Dreadful page turning! Watched Real Marigold hotel and Victorian bakers. Louise brought the boys to stay Friday night and they went to Gruffalo's child at Ashcroft. She was at Bagattis.

Excellent Bishops' conference spirituality network day at Somers Town with Henry Wansbrough on the psalms. Mark Nash, Bishop Paul and nun from Turvey. Met Michael and Marie from Southwark Catholic spirituality network. 4 p.m.Farewell to Celia Blackden at CTE - she is now working for Focolare in Rome. Julian, Siriol and David from Bristol were there. Saw Gandhi statue in Tavistock Square. To Acton and Tom back from first day in new job in Reading. Wednesday Sean was good. Louise thought cleaner was coming (in fact she was ill) so we went to the gym before Watermans. Good evensong from Queens Oxford with Cecila McDowall anthem. Watched programmes on Sappho and Cleopatra. and Petrie.

Despite a fire at Victoria we got there in time to be acolytes. The singing was superb - Pizzetti and Holst. Not sure that Cranham was a great choice for the remembrance hymn Think O Lord in mercy, The new anthem worked well, Shirley Williams fluffed her reading. Excellent sermon from Canon Christopher and the Canon from the Abbey was very friendly. Saw Dorio, Paul Joslin, Freddie Mayes and Alistair afterwards. Had lunch downstairs, Patrick Rogers gave us a tour of the marbles - not very interesting. There are 129 varieties! To interfaith group and 13 came including 2 from Brixton. William Rhind spoke well on Gandhi and interfaith. To LSE and the prof from Columbia, USA namedropped and did not quote Pope Francis on pvoerty and never mentioned previous Popes or Catholic social teaching. Liz went to sit and I watched The Apprentice.

To ENO for Satyagahra - Alan Oke as Gandhi was superb. Philip Glass's music is mesmerising and a fine production. How do they learn it? Stuart Stratford conducted. It was great to be in the stalls for the first time on the secret £20 seat scheme. Met Nick  Ansdell-Evans at interval -I had forgotten how tall he is. It was a long opera and we got back to Acton on tube and train well after 11.30 p.m. Slept well. Thursday I took Ciaran to school and Liz took Sean to Maples playgroup.

Sunday 16 th Dec packed and picked up Dennis and his presents. Arrived at Acton – both boys had been asleep. Had an excellent lunch at The Rocket. Bruce produced cards from which we were supposed to read words in turn to make up the message and clever boxes inside each other with sweets – Ciaran loved that. Back to the house in the rain for presents. C and S had big piles of course and the real highlight was the train turntable which went up and down! Watched Sports personality of the year and it was obvious Bradley Wiggins would win despite a strong field including 3 paralympians. Slept reasonably and taxi arrived early so we were at Heathrow early. Monday 17 th a good flight to Abu Dhabi on Etihad. I watched 2 films Cheerful weather for the wedding and Ruby Sparks. Also listened to Elgar while dozing. Had a wait for plane to Delhi but it left on time. I watched an interesting Indian film called “Beautiful” which was set in Kerala. Having left London at 9.30 a.m. we reached De...