When I woke up the morning, catarrh congestion was particularly unpleasant, and in a fit of coughing my nose started to bleed, and continued to do so far about quarter of an hour. Then, strangely it stopped as a fresh load of phlegm descended from my sinuses into my nostril. My voice was rough and I wondered if it'd be able to get through the Mass at St Luke's audibly. Fortunately my throat wasn't sore and as long as I projected my voice without forcing it, I got through, even singing the priest's parts. I could have just said them and nobody would have minded, but I thought I'd give it a try, and succeeded, with a fair dose of sympathy from the congregation of fifteen.
I wasn't as organised as I needed to be for the service. Although the communion vessels had been laid out, the banns book, the Gospel book and the missal weren't in their proper place and needed to be hunted for. It's just as well I remembered to call the banns at the end of the service, although I then had to ask for someone to hunt down the book to read the names from. Each church needs someone paying attention to all details of preparation, and not rely on the celebrant to piece it all together, especially as the officiating clergy can vary from week to week. Of the three Canton churches, only St Catherine's has someone who is trained for this task. It's definitely the best organised of the three as well as the best attended.
When I got home, Clare was ready and we drove over to St German's for their Jubilee buffet lunch, or should I say banquet? Loads of different salads, salmon, Coronation chicken - the original 1953 recipe - with strawberries and cream plus a glass of prosecco. Father Stewart wasn't there as he had a christening to do, so I was asked to say the grace, although I was just one of four clergy among the two dozen who sat down to eat together. It's nice to be asked though. Father Roy turned up late as he's had to spend the morning searching for one of his dogs which had gone missing. All's well that ends well and he arrived with both half way through the meal, to cheers.
We walked together for an hour in Llandaff Fields when we got back. Four four cricket matches were going on at the same time, one of the on the newly refurbished astro turf pitch. In April, it was cordoned off with a big 'do not use' sign painted on the carpet, badly damaged at the crease on one end due to the zealous activities of fast bowlers I suspect. It's very pleasing to see it back in use after only two months out of action. An all weather wicket in an area that retains excess moisture for longer is an asset to those wanting to practice out of season.
The other good news is that planning permission is being solicited to build a cricket pavilion at one end of the tennis courts which has been used to store cricket pitch covers and screens in recent years. It's a facility much needed, given the huge enthusiasm for cricket among our Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi citizens, greatly amplifying the voice of Welsh devotees of the game. I suspect the higher profile of the Sophia Gardens cricket ground in recent years has awakened both confidence and demand for the game.
I walked for another spell on my own taking photos in Thompson's park before supper. Clare had been told of a Jazz session at Chapter Arts Centre on the second Sunday of the month, and wanted to go and check it out, so I went with her. It turns out there's a resident band called 'Chapter Four' - keyboard, alto sax, acoustic bass and drums, and they play swing jazz in the style of the fifties and sixties. We weren't disappointed. They were very good.
A tight, high octane performance by middle aged guys who clearly know and love their music, an hour and a quarter's live music, sheer pleasure. We'll be back next month, a couple of days before I leave for Spain, and then again in September, hopefully. It's a free ticketless event. The group play in a corner of the big bar restaurant, which can be noisy when full, but tonight wasn't even half full. The instruments were amplified, but not too loud, they didn't need to be, and importantly they were perfectly balanced for an audience gathered in this corner of a huge high ceiling room, so you could hear each player well. Now that makes a change!
Home by ten, and getting ready for be by eleven.
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