London bound

Cloudy and mild today. We went to the St Catherine's Parish Eucharist. There were 34 adults and five children present. A couple came in at the end of the service, who had been among the worshippers at yesterday's Coptic Orthodox Liturgy. I was delighted to learn their service was attended by East Africans from Ethiopia and Eritrea. The two countries share the same Orthodox history and culture, and only became separate national churches when Eritrea became independent in 1991. Expats from both countries stick together when they're abroad! People come from all over South Wales to gather for worship. It's so like pioneering European Anglican chaplaincies, and reminds me of Russian Orthodox ex-pats in Bristol during our student days, exiled from several countries of the Soviet bloc, but cherishing their identity.

They told me their regular place of worship in Newport Road is closed for renovation and they haven't had a meeting place or services for three months, could I help them find a place to use? The problem is that their liturgy starts at six in the morning and lasts six to eight hours. That rules out church halls and churches with morning services, but are there any other places? I've asked Iona to circulate the appeal in the Ministry Area in the hope that someone will know of a community centre or other building that could serve as a temporary home for them.

Clare was serving drinks after Mass. I went straight home and started cooking the lunch Clare prepared earlier, so I could leave on time for London after lunch. I left the house just after half past one and arrived with 33 minutes fast walking, with seven minutes to spare. The platform was very crowded and a train steward was encouraging us to move to the read of the train. I'd only just done that when there was an announcement that the train was arriving on platform three. Several hundred passengers had to make a quick dash down the stairs, along the underpass and up the stairs the other side to where the train was just pulling in. I felt sorry for the train steward, and really annoyed at the shortness of notice of the platform change. All that crowd rushing under pressure could have caused a nasty accident.

The train left two minutes late and was crowded all the way to London. I just missed a connecting Circle Line underground to Victoria, but only had ten minutes to wait. I got the five o'clock train to Wandsworth Common. Door to door in under four hours, and good to arrive before dark.

June had several computer related tasks for me to undertake and I was able to make a trip to Sainsbury's for several things, including bleach. She'd left a punnet of strawberries on the kitchen working surface which was over-ripe. They leaked juice everywhere leaving a stubborn pink stain behind. Much of it I was able to remove, but bleach will finish the job.

Considering I had a Sunday off sitting in the pew, I was quite tired, and turned in for the night at eleven.