The organist librarian

Alarm did not wake me so no swim. Mass for St Andrew's Day. Liz put the flowers from the front garden into black sacks. Sorted car seats. To the tip and took recycled clothes to Age concern Acton. Picked up the boys and it took 90 minutes to get home. They quickly settled in watching Legomasters and playing with Lego. Finally got them to bed. Watched Michael Portillo at Bradford cinema and read Tablet online. 

Mass, art, South London interfaith group lunch and a good presentation on The Gratitude journal and people delighted about the commendation for Westminster cathedral interfaith group. To East Dulwich playhouse to see The King and I live from the Palladium,Excellent singing, dancing and production.

Discovered a sauna next to the pool which is great! Liz went early to school.I spotted a mobilephone call from the Thornton Heath surgery so rang up to find my healthcheck is postponed as nurse not well so missed Mass and spent day at school library. Saw Anna, Miss Bond and Monica so hopefully meeting with staff in January. Year 2 classes borrowed but system not working well. Hoepfully Anna will be freed to go in at lunchtimes. Classes mess up fiction and Bibles for some reason. To Chislehurst golf club for joint Blackheath/Bromley meeting for Frank Bond with bow ties. Sausage and mash. I got a lot support for my comments on the items in Dec Catena one of which is anonymous. Watched The Apprentice - 2 fired. Thursday to Mass and art - thinking about migrants painting. Julie encouraging me to do figures. Interfaith lunch - Fr Adrian on crutches. Interesting presentation on Gratitude journal. Spoke about the commendation. 

Slept from 10.30 p.m. to 7 then 8.30 a.m. Liz went to John Sylvester's funeral. Mosaic and some progress. St Michael's Cornhill for an excellent English plus Bach programme from Graham Thorpe. Why did he play a different Howells? The Parry was splendid and good to hear the Darke. Royal Academy fascinating film of Renzo Piano and Klimt and Schiele drawings. Schiele has such a troubled style. To Beckenham circle. University challenge. Tuesday swam, Mass. I applied for a £500 award for the cathedral interfaith group. 44 projects got awards and 66 were commended. Lord Lieutenant and Mayor of London support Faith and Belief Forum formerly 3 faiths Forum. It was good but I will not apply again. To Royal Society of medicine to receive a commendation certificate at the London Faith and Belief awards. Lots of speeches and some amazing people getting awards. The Lord Lieutenant Sir Ken impressed. Met a lot of people. The food at 9.45 was good! Met the founder of HIV chaplaincy last nig...

David Dunnett played well at Bloomsbury yesterday - Widor, Buxtehude and Beethoven. I left to get the 24 bus but it never came so tube to cathedral. 4 servers were admitted to the Guild of St Stephen. Liz was home late and I had to be up early for buses. Christ the King we sang Tony Hemson's Alpha and Omega which quotes today's readings. Crown imperial went rather well. Carols practice cut short by baptism. Finished reading Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks -  a great novel. At evensong we sang Brewer in D and RVW Let all the world. Douro river and Porto with the Wests, Cliveden hotel, lions in dynasties. 

A stimulating morning at Hurtado centre on the darkness before the dawn. Lunch at Whitechapel gallery. Liz at servers AGM and school dinner after Mass. 4 servers admitted to Guild. Peter Stevens died. The Hurtado session this morning reflected on darkness and we were asked to use the Ignatian idea of looking down on the world with God. I did think half of the world is in the light all the time but there is so much darkness everywhere especially for migrants and in our country so I concentrated on darkness near to home where I might shed a little light e.g. the grief of our nextdoor neighbour and his loneliness. Are films really art? At Whitechapel gallery 30 minutes of grainy shots of Saturn by Tom Ireland very boring. Ulla von Brandenburg's Sweet feast is fun and Mikhail Karikis No ordinary protest is rather touching with 7 year olds reflecting on the environment. Elmgreen & Dragset did not appeal so skipped it as you have to pay. 

Insie the foreign office very interesting. Went to choir practice - still don't know much about Advent carols.