Royal Edition

This morning early I posted the link to Morning Prayer in place of Ruth who's unwell. She was going to be away this week when I offered, but she and her husband caught covid instead and had to stay home. I went to the Eucharist at St Catherine's. There were seven of us for the service.  It was good to have our sacristan Clive administering the chalice for the first time.

After coffee, I went and collected this week's veggie bag then returned for lunch and a siesta before a walk around Llandaff and Pontcanna Fields. As a result of recent days of rain the water level in the Taff as risen enough to flow over the entire width of the weir for the first time since February according to my record in photographs.

There was a hard choice of viewing on telly this evening 'Autumnwatch' was on at the same time as 'The Repair Shop' - Royal Edition! Prince Charles, as he was at the time, visited the team workshop with a vase and a carriage clock to restore. Not only that, the team went on location to Dumfries House in Scotland, where Prince Charles has established a training centre for all kinds of craftsmen and restorers of historic objects. Hundreds of young people have learned specialist skills that have made them employable, and for some a lifelong vocation as an artisan.

They were shown around and introduced to students and apprentice masters by the Prince himself. It was a wonderful showcase programme for all the things that presenter Jay Blades and King Charles care about and promote. The warm mutual regard they demonstrated was a delight to witness. A relaxed and informal view of the man soon to become King when the programme was recorded. An inspirational hour, and providential timing in terms of the public's impression of our new sovereign.

It was followed by a fascinating documentary which surveyed the entire history of children's television programmes, pointing out their innovatory and sometimes radical controversial character, contributing in quite a subversive way to nurturing social change. Many of the early programmes visited I remember from growing up, but those from the period when our children grew up, I knew very little about, which only goes to show how seldom I sat down and watched telly with the kids when they were growing into their teens. Too busy 'vicaring' as they'd observe, no doubt.