Stand-in pastoralia

I drove Clare to school in the rush hour traffic this morning on my way out to Christchurch Radyr to celebrate the midweek Eucharist, and enjoy a brief coffee and chat with the half of the congregation that didn't rush off straight away after. Jenny and Chris are at Clergy School. Then I returned home to wait to be picked up for another funeral, at St Paul's Grangetown. My driver told me proudly that it was the first outing for the new Jaguar fleet cars, taken delivery of last night. I didn't think the one I rode in yesterday looked any different. The fleet cars are immaculately kept. It seems there had been maintenance issues with the ones disposed of however, and reliability is essential for those organising funerals. 

There were over two hundred people of all ages present, to say farewell to one of the well known local characters. As the weather was mild and sunny, many people stood around outside, smoked and chatted until the last minute, almost everyone traditionally dressed in black - smart or casual. I conducted the service from a lectern with its own platform. Once I started, I wasn't able to adjust its position and had to stand back with my heels slightly off the platform to read naturally and look at the congregation. It made me fully aware of the pain in my back. Not as bad as yesterday, but enough to make officiating more of an effort than usual. 

We went to Western Cemetery by a different road from the hearse. Any route across the city is heavy with traffic on a lunchtime. Going separately carries a measure of haste and uncertainty with it, but we arrive five minutes before the cortege, and then had to wait ten minutes as the grave digger appeared not have have finished clearing up after him, but the Committal was soon over and I was back home for lunch before driving into the office, to meet Ashley for an expedition to Cwmbran to the auditors. In the end other operations got in the way and the vital amendments were delivered by phone. By the end of this week CBS will be fully up to date with Companies' House with annual financial statements we can take some pride in, and present to the inaugural meeting of the Board of Management in six weeks time.

It was raining miserably, so I left the office early and drove through the evening rush hour traffic to Llandaff North to fetch Clare from school. In and out of cars all day. No wonder my back hurts. Not enough gentle exercise to loosen me up.