Another wonderful clear blue sky sunny day with gusts of chilly wind, but around 15-16 C like yesterday. I posted the YouTube link to today's Morning Prayer just before Thought for the Day, and got up to make breakfast. It took me an hour and a half to get to sleep last night, as I was so tense after my dramatic disorienting day in Derby. After breakfast, I re-visited Google Maps, not for an inquest, but to use street view to locate the snack bar van in Howden's car park Ascot Road Derby, and examine the image patiently from different angles to find the side of the van on which Sarah's kitchen displayed a mobile phone number. Then I was able to send her a thank you text message from her, and received a prompt appreciative response.
Today's the 45th anniversary of the St Paul's riot. It's also the 45th anniversary of Amanda's confirmation, which was happening in St Agnes while police confronted rioters in streets nearby, so I sent her a message. "It was the most surreal experience I ever had." she replied, having stood after the service in her white dress with others at the top of Badminton Road watching the bank burn. Worse civil disorder has followed on occasions since then, days of rioting in disadvantaged areas of discontented Britain. So little has really changed since then.
I finished Bishop Rowan's fine book before taking it to St Catherine's to lend to Rachel as I expected to see her at the Eucharist with Seb. There were nine of us today. Seb is now crawling and sitting upright like a Buddha, full of playful smiles. Our little midweek congregation ranges in age from nine months to ninety one.
After a drink in the hall, I collected the veggie bag from Chapter, and found Clare cooking tofu burgers and roasting potatoes and root veg for lunch. Still feeling tired from yesterday's excursion, I tried to sleep in the chair but failed to doze off and eventually went walking instead. I spotted a cormorant and an egret, plus a pair of goosanders fishing in the same stretch of river. Maybe it's a spot where elvers are hatching at the moment. The egret opted out of the hunt and flew up to perch on a tree branch instead. I've not seen an egret perching above ground like that since my locum spell in Mojácar in 2017. I heard but couldn't see a green woodpecker in trees above the river's west bank. I saw at close range but couldn't take a photo of a blue tit, and watched a kingfisher speed upriver in a straight line just above the water. Best of all, a couple of photos of a speckled wood butterfly, one of several I spotted flitting about along the edge of the river. Altogether a very interesting walk today.
After the day's football matches, discarded bottles and cans scattered about, needing to be escorted to the nearest bin. I picked up half a dozen and there were more out of reach once both hands were full. I wrote until supper time, and again after supper. Before turning in for the night, I recorded next week's reflection on Boenhoffer's life and anti-nazi witness, linking it to the Passiontide theme of next week's Gospel.