The organist librarian

To Coulsdon for recital in the church of Bach cello suites 1 and 2 by David Tabbat who recently became a Catholic in Milan. Lovely sound in the church and nice tea with lemon cake and chatted to David about keys. Minor keys particularly and I must seek out Mozart String quintet in G minor. Watched South Africa in photographs and Mrs Mandela, walk in the Kruger park and sex education in Ugandan schools. Kitchen is full of small plants and lots of compost going to the tip. Bill Beach in hospital for bowel obstruction.

Just watched excellent play about the negotiations to end apartheid on Channel 4 starring William Hurt whose accent was just right.

John, In my quite long life I have seen women penned in by kitchen sink drudgery, and , as so often happens, release of pent up energy leads to an abnormal swing to the opposite direction; hence many men find themselves cowed by what they see as raging predatory women today!! I know so very little about South Africa, except the media driven sensational- seeking "news" that we are fed. I'd love to know more. Perhaps we might be able to persuade you to talk to us one Saturday morning, then we could take you out for lunch. (Hope Graham reads this, he's so good at organising such projects!) Carice My email reply to Battersea Limpets I would love to but an even better idea is to choose a book about South Africa like Cry the beloved country by Alan Paton or a Nadine Gordimer then everyone can contribute and not be bored by me droning on too long! Bear in mind that it is 35 years since I lived there and I have only been back once 4 years ago and that was a SHOCK! Inci...

We had a smaller choir today so we sang Martin How's "Day by day" and William Harris's simple communion setting in F. There were 3 baptisms and my playing of "Land of hope and glory" at the end was much appreciated. Well why not reflect the Last Night of the Proms? The wedding photos were much enjoyed at coffee and the late bride and her husband came to apologise! There were various muddleups with flowers and people getting lost! I visited Grandma in hospital and Dennis and Liz went later. Liz was helping at the Tour of Britain at Crystal Palace. At evensong we sang Harris in A minor, Psalm 121 to Barry Rose's fine chant and Purcell's "Rejoice in the Lord alway". I played Arthur Milner's variations on a Northumbrian tune and Flor Peeters' voluntary on "Tallis Canon". It was Racial Justice Sunday. Watched the recording of Michael Wood in India and the South African children filmed at 7, 14 and 21. Delighted to see Yeoville ...

Thursday to Catenian Dulwich circle meeting famous for the eats after the meeting. I consumed a pint of bitter and 2 lovely pints of Guinness. No wonder I had to get up in the night but at least I went straight back to bed. A very warm welcome and I had not visited them for some months. Choir practice last night went well. The clutch on the car went again (2nd time on a Friday) so Liz met me at the station and I went by train and came home by bus in time to see the moving end of Darcey Bussill's ballet career at Covent Garden dancing to Mahler "Das lied von der erde" on BBC2. She was clearly very moved by it all. Padrerob (A priest's musings on the journey) which is compulsory reading because it is so good needs our prayers as he applies for a new post. (He did get a new post later in the year!) He has this lovely icon of I think St John. He reminds me that I have said little about my past in South Africa so I will do a bit on that.