Dad composed this for the house Mass on Liz's birthday. Fr Farmer whipped the candles off (must be beeswax!) and sat on Anna's handbag!
A later photo of Fr Peter Farmer talking to Ross Hickling - the occasion was a visit by Archbishop Michael Bowen 
He later confirmed Dennis and Louise at Addiscombe
For the first year and a few months we were installed downstairs at 99 Oxford Gardens in the room Dolly had used. For a bath we trotted upstairs to the top floor but we had a wash basin in the room and loo in the basement. I got buses to Balham library where I was assistant in the music library and Liz got buses to Dulwich St Anthony's school. We had sung at Our Lady of Victories where we were married with Mr Buckley directing the choir. We then joined the choir at Warwick Street. This continued until 31 Jan 1976 when we moved to 15 Wrights Rd. Liz found out about the house through Mildred Dodds and teachers at St Anthony's school. We did look at a house in Shortlands but it was small. The first time we visited Liz and Mum and Dad walked from Thornton Heath all the way up Ross Road! I came via Norwood Junction. Mrs Smith kept her handbag with her the whole time we were in the house! Mr Smith was an art teacher so had planted lovely trees - sadly the rowan and laburnum had to go in the end. In the back garden there was a large polystyrene Rodin Thinker type thing! Original features were fireplaces. Any way we got a mortgage and it turned out we did well as the value went up. Neighbours were very friendly. Mrs Earl at no 13 lived to be a 100. John and Pat and Darren Ennor at no. 17 and John did many building jobs for us. At No 9 were Tina (still there) and Courtney at No. 5 . No 19 Hilda and No 3 were lovely too. Mrs Earl was a one person neighbourhood watch and knew everybody and everything. Across the road Brian and Barbara (now deceased) and later their daughters babysat for us as did the Odum family round the corner.We were of course crazy. Working until 8 or 7 going to chorus Wednesdays and Thursdays and concerts and trips. No sooner had we moved in (and it was a freezing day we found coffee cups and drank whisky!) Fr Peter Farmer arrived and wanted to know if we would join St Chad's choir. This meant Friday practice and Sunday 11.15. In the choir were Josie McCulloch singing alto, a row of boys including Malcolm, Dr Tom Duffy sang bass and Juliet sang alto. George McCarthy sang bass and had perfected the art of arriving on the dot of 11.15 when the bell rang! Fr Farmer was notorious for putting his foot in it and commenting - I can see what's going on up there! He also liked fast tempi and argued at a Songs of Praise recording with the conductor. For all the saints whipped along. On the altar was MC Canon Smith (or we called him that!) The parish was very different then with a large Irish contingent. Fr Farmer loved trying new Mass settings and had built up a good choir with a good repertoire He took us to St John's Upper Norwood to sing there and would take the choir to churches for the inauguration of new organs eg Coulsdon, Lingfield. There was not a pipe organ in a Catholic church which he had not played! He loved walking and strawberry tarts - one for him at the summer choir party. Fr Parkinson was assistant and he was a dear. Later he asked me to play for the 9.30 family mass. I turned up one Sunday to be met by Fr Farmer who declared "You don't look capable of playing anything!" Not a good start to the morning! Ross Hickling became the organist and later on he commuted to Canterbury cathedral to hear his sons sing there. We took part in RSCM services there. There was much good that Fr Farmer did but he could be very difficult. He blessed our home and Dad composed a short antiphon to be sung at the Mass. Fr F removed the candles and announced they must be beeswax! He then sat on a handbag and there was a sickening crunch! I asked him why he did not bless the bathroom "Wash me throughly" would have been appropriate.
We had a housewarming party and I spent a lot of time dishing out drinks in the old extension. As he left he said You did not circulate much! Frankly he was rude and rather childish. The worst thing was the comments on our Christmas letter - Josie said "He's just jealous!"
Mildred was the one who told Liz about the house and John sang tenor in St Chad's choir.
