Friday

Yesterday (Thursday) a most enjoyable evening at a book launch for a new work on education published by Communion and Liberation. I knew very little about this group, except that it's Italian-based and is one of the new movements in the Church...well, it's impressive. The hall was packed, and everyone (er...except Auntie Joanna and a few other cronies) was young. Atmosphere light and friendly, and some first-rate talks, notably by Professor John Millbank and Professor Peter Hodson. Read more about all this here.

The theme was education, and we got some wholly fresh insights - light years away from the current Govt-backed obsession with exams and social manipulation - there was a zest and freedom of spirit here which was just a delight.

Many of the young people present were Italian, and one could tell this because the girls, in particular, looked so ..oh, I don't know, just sort of more chic than their British equivalents. Over drinks and (very good) canapes, it emerged that there is a whole C-L network of groups across London, mostly I think founded by Italian young ex-pats. I would like to get to know more about this very delightful group.

Cycled home across Westminster Bridge (the C-L event was in Great George St, just off Parliament Square) feeling rather good about life.