1985

Mum and Dad and Dennis 40th wedding anniversary

p. 221 Ann, Paul and Mark visited us and I played their wedding march and Widor Toccata when they visited Addiscombe. They stayed with Josie. Dad mentions Gillian Weir's visit. I have heard her play several times but never spoken to her! One thing that is very clear from Liz's diaries was how important Clare, Tom and Grainne were. They are mentioned so often. The children were at play school and loved that. She mentions in 1985 a callout to Southfields library. Seniors were called if the alarm went off. I was expected to reset it and if I could not do so the alarm company came. This could take hours. There was an awful incident when I took the children to Balham and sat there nearly all day. Jane refused to give me the time back. Robin Kennedy came down and said to me "If you do not get this time back, you won't come out again will you John?" I got the time back. I think David Parker and Robin Kennedy found Jane very difficult to deal with. At the first opportunity I transferred to be senior assistant at Battersea Park. Later I was split between Earlsfield and

Southfields. The latter meant 2 trains and tube or I took the car. Not always easy in the winter if it snowed. I loved working with Meryl Jones and Chris Lally and the public were so nice. One down side was Wimbledon when Southfields was inundated. People went away and let out their houses and gardens. One evening walking to the tube station a vendor hailed me "What year did WWI end? We are doing a Tshirt of Victories over Germany?" Why did he ask me - perhaps he had seen me in the library. And I could have given the wrong date! I organised carols at Southfields when we had moved into the Baptist church during the refurbishment of the library. Louise played the trumpet. Neville on trombone and Laurence's brother played tuba.

The programme from Amahl and the night visitors at Croydon Parish church Jan and Feb 1985. I sang Kaspar a lot - St Margaret's, Addington, St Mary's Caterham Hill, St John's. David Smith set it all up. Dennis and Louise sang in the chorus. To be honest I don't remember this performance! Simon Lole played the piano with Ross Hickling. Over the years I have known all of the organists at the Minster.

 Dennis's first communion at St Chad's 23/6/85 with Fr David and Fr Peter Soper (I played for his farewell Mass at St Chad's)

Sheila, K, Beachs, Malcolm, Rosemary, Carole, Mary and Ed Crinnegan, Josie, Joyce

17 and 18 Nov 1985 40th anniversary of Philharmonia orchestra and 30 years since Giulini first conducted them. B minor mass with Tear and Luxon. 

25th July 1986 Feast of St James farewell to Fr Tom Cooper. At the end we played Dambusters March and RAF March past as he was going to Biggin Hill. Fr Tom "you bastards" Signed Roger Snewin, Richard Riley and Neville Squires. On my 40th birthday cards Earlsfield staf f were Chris, Laurence, Mark, Jill, Zebbie. At Southfields were Meryl, Neville, Barbara, Pam, Carol.

We all went to Carol's wedding at the town. Zebbie was Muslim but loved Christmas. Her father was happy for me to give her a lift although he wanted her not to meet non-Muslims! I tended to drive to work despite there being trains. 

The 1986 Chorus news has book reviews by me, an article about Gurrelieder in Rome, Simon recovering his wallet and Robin lamenting the loss of Glyn on which he talks  of the 1973 Tristan trip to Orange when we sang offstage. Visited Avignon and John Crawley walked to Chateauneuf de Pape and ordered a coke. He did not know about wine! 

June 14 1986 the brass Ensemble took part in Unity in culture at the Stanley Halls. The big mistake was to agree to play at start and finish and people started doing encores. The speaker Bernard Weatherill remembered that Ann and Paul were going to visit Speaker's house which in fact happened and it was a memorable evening.