Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Thwarting the Tube strike....

...I made my way to Uxbridge, where I was giving at a talk at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Michael. What a lovely parish! Evening Mass for All Souls Day - a large congregation (even though this was the third Mass of the day), and it was so beautiful, somehow, on this November evening, candles glowing, people praying together...when Fr Nicholas, the parish priest, read out the names of those in the parish who had died and been buried from the church in the past year,there was a sense of quiet history...

Afterwards, a gathering in the parish hall, tea and cakes and I gave a talk on "Feasts and Seasons". A very warm and friendly atmosphere - much goodwill and lively conversation over questions. And afterwards, much cheery talk over supper in the presbytery...and the talk continued as a kindly parishioner drove me to West Drayton station - we were still chatting and laughing until the last goodbye. Home via Paddington,a bus to Victoria (Tube stations all bleak and sealed) and I bought some hot chocolate there and enjoyed it on the last lap home via Clapham Junction and Wimbledon...

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