Today...

...began with exams at the Amigo Hall, at St George's Cathedral, Southwark. Final exams after five years of study at the Maryvale Institute. It was in this same room, a couple of months ago, that Auntie and her family celebrated with friends after the investiture as DSG:  it was strange to be coming back here in the very different circumstances of a formal exam.Neat tables and chairs set out far apart in rows, people nervously chatting, then "Please come and take your seats",  and each of us allotted a place marked with a name and number.... One and a half hours for the first paper. I had bought four brand-new roll-point pens  at the £-shop in Deptford. A break for a cup of tea and then the next paper...

And then it was over, and we chatted and wished each other well...I lunched with a colleague, at a small café near Waterloo, a tradition established in our group over the years,  and we reminisced...

Then after handshakes and a "See you at the graduation!" we parted, and the second half of the day began. In the train out to Wimbledon, I hurriedly freshened up and donned my Best Hat.  This Hat was also last worn for the DSG (and before that, it was worn at Westminster Hall for the visit of Pope Benedict, which happened to coincide with Auntie and J's 30th Wedding Anniversary...).  It's a dear little hat, with a veil that goes over the front and swoops up at the side...v. trendy when I first bought it for my going-away outfit back in 1980 and now it's right back in fashion again!

And so to the Church of the Sacred Heart at Wimbledon, for the glorious wedding of some dear friends, William and Lucy. They are stalwarts of the Catholic Writers Guild and also of the Fellowship of St James, and it was suitable that their wedding was celebrated near St J's Feast Day.  Superb Music - a Byrd Mass. Scripture readings done by Christopher Howse, and by Fr Deacon Richard Downer. The bride wore a most beautiful dress and veil, there were two smart page-boys and a gracious Matron of Honour, and  we all sang the rousing hymns and the Mass was concelebrated by a number of clergy including a Jesuit, a Benedictine from Downside and a priest from the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. The day's oppressive heat melted into a magnificent rainstorm as we gathered for a superb reception in the parish hall, with delicious food and lashings of champagne and a wonderful joyful time of celebration. As things finally drew to a close I went on to visit a beloved elderly relation nearby, taking with me some of the lovely chocolate mousses in the tiny individual cups, and we sat and enjoyed these together, and talked of weddings and happy things...