Students shrieking and waving placards with obscenities...

...made it impossible to get into the Houses of Parliament today, which was irritating as I badly needed to be there to check on arrangements for a meeting tomorrow. Police with shields were out in large numbers, and a number of over-excited people with Socialist Worker placards were hurrying around while the main body of demonstrators chanted and shrieked and threatened and ranted.

Tomorrow the young winners of a nationwide education project are due to arrive to be given their prizes at the House of Lords. I've arranged a tour of Parliament, and tea, and a ceremony where they get their prizes and celebrate with their parents and teachers...I needed to make some last-minute checks to ensure everything was in order, but couldn't. We must just hope and pray...

Unable to get into Parliament Square I made my way instead up towards Westminster Cathedral - always a source of solace - and in the CTS bookshop (copies of the Pope's new book in the window, and selling rapidly)I met a nice lady who had taken a photo of Patti Fordyce and me at the glorious Hyde Park gathering for the Holy Father. She had lost my email address...and now I was able to give it to her, and she has since sent me the pic and I'll be posting it on this Blog in due course!

Also in the shop was Fr Stephen Langridge, from Holy Ghost Church, Balham - I had wanted to talk to him about a possible event in his parish and we had a useful talk over a cup of coffee.

Attempting to get to Waterloo by road was impossible. So I went to evening Mass at the Cathedral - where I met another friend and had a good chat in Ambrosden Avenue. And so home via Victoria. I wonder if the people are still shouting and ranting?