The organist librarian

Long wait at hearing aid clinic. Liz took Mike's picture to Pauline. To Safe Passage at Whitechapel to collect leaflets and posters. Last angels and cards up and new shade in study. Cooker gas switches are broken so we will need a new one.   An excellent carol service and it's very encouraging that some of the singers are joining us at Christmas! It all went so well. Julie on flute made all the difference and the Berlioz Shepherds' farewell was lovely with soft singing. Mulled wine and mice pies afterwards and a chance to chat. Nice that Liz came to sing.

Swam. Took rest of birthday cake to mosaic and it was much enjoyed. Very little progress as I need thicker black tiles. To tai chi Tony talked all the time at one point for 15 minutes! To Guys and new mould for right ear ready Oct 29. The reason the right one did not work yesterday was wax in the tube. To British museum for Ian Hislop's interesting protests. Car seat came but I could not fit it myself. Took Dennis to Catenians. John Rayer and Brendan Ducey there. Unanimous decision to close in March - financial and falling numbers. Watched university challenge.

Swam, no Mass as to hearing aid clinic at AgeUK at 10 a.m. Need to put in drops every night and change tubes more frequently every 2 months.  At East Dulwich picturehouse for Thomas Ades The exterminating angel from the Met. Weird and 15 principals Alice Coote Tomlinson Sophie Bevan huge orchestra, bells, drums, ondes martenot, small violins. Liz to Acton. To St Paul's for Lucy WInkett and Marian Partington on forgiveness - large audience. 

Very pleased with new hearing aid mould. Listened to Prom talk on Henry James in Italy and wrote provincial president's blog for newsletter. Incomparable Simon Callow reading Goethe and Hoffmann at preProm talk and Brahms Piano concerto 2 with Peter Serkin. Skipped second half. Liz could not get there - no trains from West Norwood and I had a slow journey standing to London bridge. 

Excellent service from Autoglass - new windscreen fitted and new wipers so I was able to drive to art after all where we had great fun with the Brit school students. Did 4 quick lifedrawing efforts. I was very pleased with the double portrait. Julie now has my pictures for the library exhibition. 2 of the ladies gave me items for the interfaith stall. To East Dulwich picturehouse to see Absolutely Fabulous which was funny. Home to change into evening dress for the Old Johannian Delville Wood commemoration dinner at Institute of directors. Excellent and it was free! It was very moving to read of the bravery of Fr Hill. Sat with the new head and Penny Peregrine. Delighted to meet Michael Lugton from Edinburgh. We were home after midnight. Friday lie-in and took duvet and tie to cleaners and delivered the pictures to Alan Gadd. Worked on July 17th details and sent church emails. Right hearing aid giving lots of problems - hurts my ear so going to doctor to get wax removed first and usi...

Swam 20, new hearing aids at Guys hospital, welcoming at the cathedral, Royal Academy summer schools and summer exhibition (some lovely paintings) BP portrait award at National Portrait gallery, met Liz for dinner and enjoyed Jenufa at ENO. As always I preferred Jean to the winners. Schools stuff rather disappointing. 

Liz off to Walsingham. Another interesting day started with hearing test at Guys hospital and I should get new improved hearing aids on July 1st. Then to see my spiritual director at Farm Street and a visit to the Royal Academy to see White, black, gold by Keith Coventry and Ann Christopher's drawings. Then to Wellcome collection for States of Mind and Find a voice (both worth seeing). Then Leighton House for pre-Raphaelite drawings from Canada. I'm not that keen on them but some of them could certainly draw! An enjoyable organists crawl in Cambridge. I spent a happy time at the Fitzwilliam - special exhibition on Egyptian and Roman mummies but loved the art. Sadly we could not visit Downing after all. At Wesleyan Methodist the organist did not turn up and in the end I rang the organ tuner to find out how to turn it on. Much better was St Andrew St Baptist and then Sarah Macdonald gave us a treat at Little St Mary's on the Tickell. Best of all OLEM organ wiht Nigel Kerry a...

To Ciaran's assembly - they all sang and spoke so well and it was sweet! All so happy! To Dr Ojo to have ears syringed and I have arthritis in right thumb. Lots of emails and practised for Sunday. Liz getting ready to go away to Walsingham, To St John;s for excellent recital by Bridget and Adrian - 65 there! Wesleys, Reger, Peeters, Bossi, Franck, Ives. Marilyn Harper, Richard Pilliner, Millingtons there

To the AGM of Friends of Grangewood Park. Impressed by the committee's enthusiasm and ideas - 47 joined this year. To Widmore Road URC Bromley for organists composite recital. I played Walton 3 pieces from Richard III. We had Rowley, Vierne, JSB, Pachelbel, Vierne, Bedard. Vespers and Mass at the cathedral then to Clapham Picturehouse for the outstanding RSC Shakespeare celebration. You name they were in it! Twice this week I have gone out without my right hand hearing aid. This is because of the bad habit f only putting one in to go swimming! I am still waiting for a hearing test.

Swam 20 and Liz came as well. Looked up Harry Mellor's details for his 50 year scroll. Hearing aid at AgeUK - lady 30 minutes late, new tubes and she agrees I need new moulds to stop the whistling. Went for yellow fever injection but informed that risk was greatly increased for over 60s so need to discuss with nurse. To Boots Whitgift after lunch for eye test. Small cataract in right eye but no need for new glasses and come back in 2 years. Liz met me at Selhurst. The intro to the Prom as rather too high brow and the young instrumentalists did not get to play much. West-Eastern Divan orchestra under Barenboim played uninspiring Schoenberg, Beethoven Triple concerto and Tchaik 4. To Acton. Wed to Whipsnade and had good journeys with no holdups. We all loved it and Ciaran became a young zoo explorer for a year. Saw red panda, sea lions under water, rhinos, elephants, lions, tiger, lynx, chimps, camels, deer, yaks, hippos, giraffes, zebras, waterbuck. Went on steam train ride. Had no...

Monday Catenian council 4 there at Bill's, He told the story of losing a grandchild in Majorca found by the police within 10 minutes. Tuesday swam 20 - have not been for weeks and pleased to say my new ring stayed on! To hearing aid clinic - right one's tube was blocked with wax so I need to go more often for checks. Saria the Muslim lady has left as she is an audiologist not a technician. To Bromley and returned 19 scores and went back to the library to check all had been discharged - I do not like the impersonality of the machine declaring Unknown item. To Lakeland to change the vegetable peelers for small boxes. Bromley parish church (eventually found a parking place after 2 lots of reversing), Soprano, flute and piano - he plays piccolo at Covent Garden and used to sing tenor there. She has an operatic voice quite unsuited to a choir although the vicar in green shirt poured praise on them. Ernest told me about Celia who is ill and he has full time care. The Strauss last si...

Up at 6 a.m. and took Bruce and EJ to the station. They had quite a bit more than they came with! We went over to Acton via Willesden junction. I fell asleep on the sofa and the family went to the park. After a nice lunch we took Ciarán to see  Cloudy with a  chance of meatballs 2 cartoon at Watermans and we all enjoyed it. Very clever use of food. When Tom came home we came home. Friday Liz took me to Leigham Court Road and I was early at Streatham health centre. Saw audiologist and my tubes were blocked with wax which is also causing the whistling. Any way both hearing aids are now back in action. Liz went to doctors, took the car to have window mechanism and brake light fixed and saw Josie in the home. I added prices and condition details to the list of surplus organ music. Shocked to hear John Helen's wife Sue died just after Christmas due to a blood clot so sent him a card. He used to be a Catenian. To Charing Cross theatre which is under the station for excellent musica...

Friday took Liz to St John's for 9 a.m. in pouring rain for Walsingham pilgrimage until Sunday. Servers pilgrimage is tomorrow. To Streatham medical centre and saw very nice Indian audiologist. He said right ear is bad and worse so I am to have new Siemens aids on October 1st. Left is also poor. No wonder Liz has to repeat everything! To hall for 2.30 p.m. and got queue number ticket No. 11 for Last night at 4. To Royal Academy to revisit Richard Rodgers exhibition which is most interesting. On way back bought sandwich and tea at Pret - alas the tea leaked and the bottom of the paper bag collapsed - result tea all over bus floor! To Pre Prom Poetry competition results - most interesting. At the Prom we had Bach played by Klaus Sonnleitner who is organist at Linz where Bruckner played. His approach was more Baroque than Romantic. His encore was very quiet! Vienna Phil and Maazel played Bruckner 8 beautifully but somehow it was not as impressive as the 4th the other evening. Saturd...

Swam 20. Dr OJo suctioned my ears - it hurt in the right one. I will be referred to a central unit for a new hearing test - not been done since 2006! To hearing aid clinic and right one retubed and got batteries. Straight to Clapham Picturehouse and lots of time to have cappuccino and carrot cake in the sunshine. Turandot from the Met (2009 broadcast). Fantastic set and costumes. Marcello Giordani was a bit wooden but sang well. Liu sung by Marina Poplavskaya moved me to tears. How much better 'Nessun dorma' is in context! Andris Nelsons conducted.To Tate Modern and had a look at 4 exhibitions. In the African art library lamps made of burnt books becayse 'when an old man dies, it is like a library is burnt'. How wise. I liked the sculptures of Saloua Raouda Choucar. Ellen Gallagher and Ibrahim El-Salahi did not impress. Earl Grey in members room and phoned David Walker. 15 and 9 to the hall. Spoke to RSPB guy near Millenium bridge - there are peregrine falcons on the ...

To the Thornton Heath Parchmore Road Methodist church for clinic. 3 in front of me so a long wait. The problem with the right hand one was wax in the tube so both are now working again, This means I will not need the appointment at St George's. Need to go to ENT to get the wax out. Liz shopped at Tescos. I got passport photos redone not smiling this time and found the letter so they can be sent off. Bruce due home on Sunday! Some of the reaction to Thatcher has been disgusting. The Queen is attending the funeral - did she go to Churchill's?

Heard the rest of the programme on Music and Silence. It seems one should wear hearing aids as soon as you need them otherwise there will be more cognitive loss. To hearing aid clinic and got more batteries and tubes. Shopped at Tesco for Liz - horrid "Silent night" sung by some woman and everything has been moved! Worked on coursework 2 on Francis Clooney. Evensong from Westminster Abbey featuring Peter Maxwell Davies setting of Rowan Williams "Advent calendar" from Choirbook for the Queen.

Swam 20. Yesterday's snow quickly disappeared. Took car to Selhurst and waited for train to East Croydon. Got there in time for 10.30. Annoyed that I had to stop the trial and ask the judge as I could not hear anything - the loop was not turned on. Filled in a comment form to complain - the loop was never properly explained in the induction - I assumed it was just the loop on my hearing aid but in fact it was earphones like the ones I have for the TV at home! It was not a problem in the first trial in the bigger courtroom but in this tril the defence keeps dropping his voice and not talking to the mike. To Heythrop - library first then chili con carne. Had to have a chocolate ice! A good lecture from Michael but I started to wilt near the end! Hard to concentrate. Home to watch Who do you think you are. Liz took up the invite to Coloma's Christmas concert - result of next year's Catenian conference mass planning.

The downstairs plug circuit has been cutting out now for a fortnight and the electrician will finally come tomorrow! Found extension leads so plugged in upstairs. To Parchmore hearing aid clinic - one tube was too short and not thick enough so now sorted. Must wear them more and use olive oil. To Bromley library to return scores - put in a Morden one by mistake so retrieved it! Got battery for smoke alarm £6.49 is a bit steep! Bruce had gone to Louise's last night so decided that he would bring Ciarán here - just have to cope with all the wires! Finally got email back and able to upload photos of hats.

Swam 32. No word from Steve Darragh about a visit to the pool and us. To the clinic at Parchmore Road Methodist - very nice lady changed the tubes and arranged a home visit about a loop. Also spoke to the manager of the centre who said it would be open on the day of the torch relay for loos but no refreshments as they have been cut back. Got Liz's prescriptions for her eye from Tescos. Have nade contact with Croydon concert band about the torch relay and rang Christine the church warden about All Saints. Seems Fr Leonard is indeed very odd!

 I found the aids in the front garden next to the path. They must have come out of my pocket when I went to the car this morning. To Catenians and good chat to Harry Mellor and Bill. Miss David Barrett. Some good jokes. I liked the Rabbi last night - "You don't know you are paranoid until you recognise that everyone is picking on you". Jewish atheist - "I'm an atheist, thank God".