The Society of Genealogists...

...asked me to lead members on a Catholic History Walk. We started at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and I explained that the fielde were those belonging to the monks of Westminster Abbey, who turned Thorney Island and the marshes along the Thames into good farmland...

Then along the Strand, and down to te river...where I spent rather too long explaining about the general histoiry - Britons and Romans, Saxons and Vikings...they really wanted more about "Smells and bells" which was how the Walk had been advertised, so we headed for Covent Garden, which I explained was originally Convent Garden, and we talked about Henry VIII and so on. I forgot to add the other material I usually add, about origins of pub signs and nursery rhynmes, all very Catholic...I mentioned the various famous Catholic churches around London, explaining that there were none in the old City itself as this was forbidden for many years (not long ago the City boundaries were shifted so one Catholic church is now included)..

I do wonder why the CofE doesn't give a couple of the City churches to the Catholic Church on a loan-and-pay-the-bills basis, so that City workers could get to weekday Mass more easily. Lots go to St Mary Moorfields,  St Etheldreda's or across the river to Precious Blood, but meanwhile  the City's glorious Wren and Hawksmoor churches -  which before the Great Fire were ancient Catholic churches - are for the most part simply not used most of the time...

London is currently sizzling in sudden heat. As the Walk ended, I realised I had missed an important phone call. The "Son Rise" radio show from the USA wanted to talk to me about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. So I called them back and we did an interview. Extraordinary, really,  after a morning working my way through the centuries, to be standing  just off The Strand, talking to America about a Royal Wedding and current controversies...

On which subject, I do hope the Royal couple desist from thinking that their role is to impose politically-correct opinions on the rest of us on certain issues.  Catholics in Britain today value the freeom won after some difficult times...