Wet Ascension Day

A bright start to this great day, but colder, and then clouds and rain to dampen the festive mood. I had intended to go to the Eucharist in the Parish at St John's Canton, but lost track of time when I was writing emails leaving it to late to arrive there, so I cycled to the Cathedral instead as it had a service half an hour later. About twenty people were in the congregation including three fellow clerics. One of them drew me into conversation as I was about to leave, as a funeral request for them had been re-directed to me. I got the impression from tight lipped sotto voce conversation not quite in my presence that it's not a happy place at the moment, despite recently welcoming a new Dean. But for as long as I can recall, there's always been someone having a moan about something not approved of in the mother church of the diocese. It's not immune from the voices of disaffection that are endemic in the wider church today.

Meanwhile, back to business. Pidgeon's funeral car collected me at lunchtime for a service in their chapel. I met their new funeral Manager John Cammell. He's putting on a reception to meet the city's clergy in a few weeks from now. Pity I can't go, as it's on a Chi Gung evening. I learned that their other new recruit, Luke the EasyJet driver was off work already with a broken foot from playing football one evening after work. The chapel was full with a few standing at the back. It was raining and windy when we finished and hardly let up for the journey to the new part of Western cemetery, for the brief damp committal ceremony.

After a brief cup of tea back at home, I headed out in the rain and the evening traffic to the Legacy International Hotel on the edge of Tongwynlais, to meet up with Philippe Chambeyron and two of his daughters arriving from Geneva, mother-in-law Barbara and sister-in-law Debbie arriving from West Yorkshire for tomorrow's funeral. I arrived just ahead of them, and it was then just a matter of double checking all the arrangements and preparations for Ivor's funeral tomorrow at St Mary's Whitchurch.

I was back home in time to eat supper, then drove Clare to her group meeting before going on my Tai Chi class. A welcome work-out after none too cheery day.