Old friends

p.463 has an interesting summary of the year 1990 and Dad remarks on losing old friends. I remember Monica and Vicki vividly and Ivy Sanvicens was an interesting person. She fell in love with San the Spanish cellist who was much older than her and Gaspar was the result. She had moved to Leek and we visited her there. Of course we saw Gaspar in Hong Kong, Bath and Auckland. He married Rosemary and they had 2 sons. Sadly we too can say that we have reached the stage where we are attending funerals or learning of the passing of old friends. Right now (2020) we are in lockdown and so sad to think of those who cannot be with their loved ones at the end or attend their funerals.

Ivy visits us and we had been to see her in Leek. Dennis as a scout cub.

1988

The annual Epiphany carols at St John's 6 to 8 October 1988 toy seller in La Boheme Harlequin, Redhill conducted by Paul Kelly

On the footplate at the Zig Zag railway we had a barbecue halfway and Liz caught her leg on a nail.

St Luke Mosman

Mark in the front

The year of the Australian bi-centenary. Ann was expecting again. p.279. p.281 David Hill the Australians loved him. We went first to Hong Kong where we stayed with the Sanvicens in a high rise block form which you could clearly see shantytowns. Rosemary took us around and we enjoyed the stay.

p.285 we arrive in Sydney. The rectory was huge and we quickly locked the room with the silver. A big garden with cockatoos and kookaburra. The tragic loss of David Lennox happened just before we arrived. I played at St Luke's Mosman and we enjoyed harbour cruises and of course the Zoo. We were there for Easter and that kept us busy. But it did rain such a lot! We visited various beaches and the kids went to the local school for a couple of days. On Good Friday we went to the service at the North Sydney cathedral and found we could not start the car afterwards. I went back to the church for help and Colemans came to our rescue. A garage was found - I was amazed it was open and the car was back running. The Colemans turned out to be a Godsend as he became a Catenian and we visited them and when Mum and Dad died we stayed at Narrabeen with them. The Easter vigil at St Mary's cathedral was fantastic. p.288 Royal Easter show and Gosford. Blue Gum farm (later destroyed by fire)A nice trip to Canberra and Featherdale farm for BBQ. Best of all the Zigzag railway and on the footplate. Liz hurt her  leg getting off for the BBQ half way.  Liz and Dennis sang Pie Jesu by Lloyd Webber. The Opera house for Gaite Parisienne. Carl Pini and the Sinfonia. We knew him from the Philharmonia. p.292 Canberra and Kuringai.  I had hated the journey home from Tasmania so was determined to have something to look forward to. We flew

to Los Angeles changing at Honolulu. On the second flight we were not sitting together and Liz went ballistic. Eventually people moved and the stewardess said "You would like a whisky, Sir?" I had remained calm throughout.  On the first flight there was loads of room and we could lie across the seats! We were surprised at the warmth of the welcome by immigration and we headed for a motel. Three days at Disneyland were magic although there was an anxious hour when we got separated. Then we headed to San Diego with its fabulous zoo and wild life park, Sea World and a family restaurant at the harbour where my plate would have fed all of us! Another long flight and we were home!

27 July 1988 mass of thanksgiving for Fr Anthony Barrett 3rd anniversary of ordination. He studied at the English college Rome and arranged for me to  play the organ there. He got me back to confession and gave me his little Morning and Evening prayer book. He went to the U.S.A

With Bruce San Diego Zoo

Stravinsky

Reading what I have covered so far I seem to have moved away from Dad's book so back to page 66 where the recording of Hear my prayer is described. He says I was head chorister in 1958 when we made the record of carols. I always loved "Whence is that goodly fragrance?" which is on that recording. Dad does not describe the infighting which went on about Hear my prayer. <Mrs Irwin was determined that her Michael should sing the solo but in the end Gaspar made a good job of it. On page 67 Dad lists all the City Hall services and I sang in all of them. I even recall Dr Gerald Knight's visit. Mum had little time for him. I played the organ for Frank Dennis's mayoral service at St Mark's. Keith Fleming had been mayor in 1962 and once picked me up when I was walking home from school and gave me a lift in the Mayor's Rolls Royce! As a result of these mayoral connections Mum and Dad were invited to a reception for Igor Stravinsky. I went with Mum. The great man was due to conduct the SABC orchestra but in fact Robert Craft did all the conducting. The real purpose of the trip was to visit the Game reserve! The great man was seated in the Mayoral parlour with a tub of concrete on the floor on top of a Persian carpet. He was then invited to put his hands into the concrete and of course the concrete slopped over onto the lovely carpet. How small town Joburg was and I was appalled! Dad describes the Sanvicens family on page 68. He does not mention the ghastly experience of San driving his little car down windy Munro drive and turning round to talk to Dad. He referred to Mt Gordon as Padre and his concerts in the church hall were memorable. I always loved the cello.

This is actually an earlier mayoral service when I was assistant organist. I think I played the Webber Tuba tune. Dad composed a special anthem based on the tune "York".

People we knew

Many years later Reg and Vicki visited our home

Irene Lahner holding baby Ann. A photo showing my auburn hair. We did go on holiday to the South Coast of Natal at Amanzimtoti. This involved a steam train ride overnight. We would have a coupe and in the evening the seats became 2 bunks and I slept on the floor. It was actually quite comfortable and of course I loved the steam engine.
Auntie Lahner was a large Afrikaans lady who made clothes. She lived on the same floor of Atlantic Court and was a great friend. When I left in 1972 she gave me opera glasses (which although broken I still keep). One floor down were the Sanvicens. "San" was a cellist from Barcelona married to Ivy a teacher from Leek. Their only child was Gaspar who later joined the choir at St Mark's and recorded "Hear my prayer". San always referred to him as his baby. San loved to cook and would produce different cuts of meat (which they probably could not afford). Vicki Leyman was somebody Mum met at the park and they were lifelong friends. She was married to Reg a Welsh tenor who later joined the church choir and came back to faith. Dad had an enormous influence on people in that way!  Their two children Bronwen and Gareth were completely undisciplined and would climb up the curtains. This was put down to self-expression. I am sorry to say neither of them made happy marriages.
There was a very high slide at Joubert Park and I eventually plucked up courage to climb to the top and go down it. Unfortunately it was a hot day and my little bottom was quite red through my shorts. I always checked the temperature of the slide itself after that! At Christmas Joubert Park was illuminated with lots of lights although we later remarked it was not a patch on Tivoli in Copenhagen.