The organist librarian

Lovely visit to Christmas at Kew in pouring rain with  Louise Maher   Tom Maher Bruce Woodhouse  Ciaran and Sean. Really enjoyed it especially the carousel! New Year's Eve concert live from the Berlin Philharmonic with Sir Simon and Anne-Sophie  Mutter on great form. Massenet, Chabrier, Ravel, Saint-Saens and Poulenc. Met Sue and Brian Carroll. Good meal at Strada Clapham Common.

We both went to celebration event and lunch at Hyderi mosque Streatham to celebrate the birthdays of Jesus and Mohammed. There was a quiz and we sang We three kings. Liz went to the doctor. Watched Dambuster, The Queen, David Beckham on 7 continents and Gareth Malone choir reunion. 

Listened to Ripon cathedral broadcast (well done Tim Harper) and watched History quiz on the Tudors and Mrs Brown's Boys. Nice chat to Ann in Tasmania. We walked up to Grangewood park - railings need painting. C atching up on recorded TV - Dickensian, Carlos Acosta in Carmen, Darcey's ballet heroes. Dennis came for dinner and I played the piano and we watched Christmas lecture and Michael Palin on Artemesia Gentileschi. Brentwood cathedral Midnight Mass was splendid.

Boxing Day at Acton boys loved their presents and I now have a Sat nav! Also a fascinating book called Letters of note and How to babysit a Grandad and a lovely sketching kit. We sang carols with the keyboard and Liz and I went to Mass at Acton at 7 - recording of Silent Night after communion - why? Played Cranium - hilarious! A lovely day. Sunday excellent breakfast cooked by Tom. Dropped Liz at St John's - I won body lotion in the big raffle. They raised £3000. 15 at St Michael's and I played RVW Greensleeves, Christmas pieces and Cook on Divinum mysterium. Archdeacon Paul but he left quickly to get to Canterbury cathedral for evensong. I remarked that it would have been good to discuss the future of the church as it will be closing for 5 months in June for the improvements to the narthex. Several PCC members said they did not know this. Fr Leon never said it was confidential! The cat is among the pigeons! 

Delicious salmon and homemade chocolate profiteroles for Christmas Eve dinner. Carols from King's on TV was lovely and O magnum mysterium by Ola Gijola with cello is a real discovery!  Played for Mass at 11 pm. Noels and Bach In dulci. 41 there mostly strangers! 3 in choir sang On Christmas night, Salazar Gloria. Some discussion about last verse of O come all ye faithful - played it! Now listening to Brentwood cathedral on radio 4 while waiting for Bruce and Liz to emerge from St John's!  21 at 10 am Mass at St Michael's. More Noels and Andrew Gant's Paean on the morning of Christ's nativity. Went to 11.15 mass at Anerley. Good to see Fr Sunith and Fr Stuart - the latter celebrated and played the organ for 4 hymns (3 of them the same as at St Michael's!). Presents opened - very nice! Fr Leon gave me chocs and rioja!  Very impressed by singing from Brentwood, Southwark, Ripon and Bath Abbey broadcasts. Well done all!  Enormous dinner at Croydon Park hotel and st...

Went in the rain to sing carols at the Eucharist with St John the Evangelist Upper Norwood at Lakeside nursing home. Many were in their rooms so not so many in the lounge this year. I pray I never end up in such a pl ace losing my mind and it's so hot - I like fresh air! Thank God for the blessings we have! Christmas can now officially start having listened to King's - lovely to hear Rutter, Willcocks, John Scott, Darke and Howells and the Richard Causton words and music stunning!  Carols from King's on TV included a wonderful O magnum mysterium by Ola Gijola with cello. 

Wednesday a quiet day. Louise took a couple of calls and Seán played and watched DVDs. Bruce helped to keep him amused. Did not go out. Watched Masterchef and Christmas university challenge and finally saw the last Christmas lecture about robots from 2014! At dinner opened a bottle of Julio Gallo Rose 2014 and it was sour so opened another which was fine! Did some work on ancestry.com - Pauline Clarke no help at all! BBC archives programme interesting and Mrs Brown's Boys.