Saturday 6 August

I do not think I made any mistakes in my organ playing this morning! Not a single one! The hymns were all easy and not very fast and I chose a simple voluntary by Mendelssohn to finish with, because my left shoulder is still hurting a little, and the LH of the Mendelssohn only requires three notes (D, G and A.)

I kept peeping in my Rear View Mirror to see if Mum’s other Priest was present in the congregation, but I could not see him. Perhaps he changed his mind or got up too late to come. Or perhaps he did not wear his dog-collar so as to be incognito while making copious notes in his Diocesan Filofax, eg “Went to that woman’s church this morning to check on the flowers and the quality of the tea and biscuits. Excellent organ playing by some young fellow. Flowers vg. Tea far too strong. NB must mention art of tea-making in future Addresses to Women’s Groups.”

And the Suffragan Bishop was here again! That is two Sundays on the run. It is possible that he is here to check up on my organ playing abilities before approving the rise in my stipend, for the Treasurer said after the service that there had been a mistake and I had been overpaid this month. But she said not to worry. If my contract was signed and the way ahead was clear she would do what was necessary to balance the books. The Treasurer is clearly not a Musician, for she asked me if, to be on the safe side, I played the guitar or if I knew of any good guitarists in our parish! No doubt she would be in her element singing Amazing Grace with Cliff Richard and the Shadows accompanying her!

I did not have a chance to speak to my old Vicar, for after the service he was in the vestry talking to the Suffragan Bishop and a lady.

The choirstalls are an awful mess! Work seems to have been stopped on the new ones, and the old ones are in pieces in the Choir Vestry. How fortunate it is that we do not actually have a choir at present, for there would be nowhere for them to robe, apart that is from the lavatory which would not be very pleasant for choir people trying to get in the right mood for a service because it always smells a little and nobody can open the window, not the church wardens or even the Vicar.