Codfather on fire

As was driving down Romilly Road on my way to celebrate Mass at St German's this morning the wind blew a huge plume of smoke across the junction with Canton High Street. One of the shops nearby was on fire. As I was queuing couple of minutes later beyond St David's hospital junction, the first fire engine came full pelt towards us, blue lights flashing and siren blaring, followed by the command centre truck, and then a minute later the turntable ladder truck and a couple of police cars. The traffic hold-up was very brief, and I got to church just after half past ten. 

There were twenty six of us, including Fr Roy, who has now been discharged from hospital and is back at home with his two dogs. Given the seriousness of his condition after being hit by a car four months ago which included a month in an induced coma, he's made a remarkable recovery, although he is still somewhat frail. Caleb the St German's altar boy is eleven today, so we sang him an enthusiastic Happy Birthday at the end of the service.

After lunch I finished work on my video for Ascension Day Morning Prayer and uploaded it to YouTube, and then went down to the High Street to find out which shop had gone up in smoke. It turned out to be a fish 'n chip and kebab takeaway joint called 'The Codfather'. According to a news report I read later the fire was in a flat above the shop from which two people had to be rescued. A domestic kitchen fire rather than a commercial one, I wonder?

I got back home after walking in the park and listened to Evensong on my phone, as it had started fifteen minutes earlier. Then I had some emails to deal with, including an exchange with a Costa chaplaincy member who provides support for Sunday worship. Services make use of Powerpoint presentations for the liturgy and hymns. That'll be a new experience for me. I can't say I'm keen. Projectors and screens can ruin the aesthetics of the worship environment. But, if it works for people that's fine by me.

After supper, I watched an episode of an English crimmie series on ITV called 'Grace', all about illegal immigrants becoming murdered for organ harvesting by an organise crime gang. I think I recall watching an episode of an earlier series, but it's some time ago. It was quite good, with a predictable happy end. Just.