The Bishopsgate singers

A great free concert as part of the relaunch of the Institute.  Singing is upbeat and fun- nothing heavy. Loads of singing in round.  You can join and sing at lunchtime and there seemed to be a great mix of people

The launch of the Bishopsgate Institute

After renovations lasting two years, it is now fully opened. the new cafe at the side is lovely, pricey but the daily specials are more affordable

Air Force concert

This was a free concert- as part of National Forces Day

The New London Hospital

This is due to be open next year- first patients in January 2012.
This is going t be the largest hospital in Europe

The Finnish Church

Invited by friends to this very modern church right near the Rotherhithe tunnel

The whole day was filled with choirs, jazz bands and soloists. the food was of a very high standard- no dried up sausage rolls or stale sandwiches but was very expensive- tea was £1,50- very steep for a church. the food was actually smoked salmon and herrings and the most delicious salads.
 I shot a snatch of a song and a back view of part of the choir. The church was very Scandinavian in character- IKEA look throughout and a sauna upstairs

Alison Beck- Jazz singer

http://www.alisonbeck.co.uk/

I am very proud to know Alison who graduated from London Guildhall at the Barbican last week. She now has her masters as a jazz singer

All singers perform for about an hour in one of the theatres there.  Alison was backed by double bass, piano, violin and drums- her programme was eclectic and exciting.  The best thing about this is that anyone can come and listen to graduate's final performances- it is free.  Next year we will definitely go -

'Music for a Summer's Night'

St Helen's is a very evangelical church with a huge, mostly young congregation.  As the rain lashed down  we sat down to a fabulous concert and even better meal in this grand setting. It's a yearly event, costs less than £10 for a very full evening.  They always have a talk about christianity with a performer and this one was shorter than usual and more persuasive but not too heavy if you know what I mean.   The music was very cultured- a bit more sing along would have pleased me more- but a lovely evening and one I shared with John and some new friends

Our short holiday at £19 Travelodge

What a fabulous cheap holiday. We were in a travel lodge but opposite The Grand where we sat for a while

The photo is of John in Whitby.  The ruins of the Abbey are fabulous- if seen from
 a distance
!http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/whitby-abbey/history/

The start of the Spitalfields Festival 2011

And it has been raining nearly all day!!And it's Pentecost

Free Art Gallery visit

This was a Times offer- The Saatchi gallery is free anyway but we were given a glass of champagne and a guided tour in an evening visit.  The guide was inaudible and short like me, so we could not see or hear her. We decided to just wander off and look at the art- much of it very interesting but reminded me of the sort of thing you used to see at fairgrounds or Guinness World of Records shows- or Ripley's 'I don't believe it'.  Most of it wa shocking or sad or puzzling.
The top photo is inspired by Brick Lane!

Another Times offer

This was a freebie and in a lovely comfortable cinema at 10.30 we saw this film- made of amateur footage on July 24th 2010.  I found some of the footage moving of different people all over the world living their lives.  The birth of a giraffe was a highlight for me, but otherwise I found it all less than the sum of its parts.
the background music was lovely though

Quiz League of London Summer Event

The most fun for a quizzing day. In the City of London and some very lively quizzes and a chance to meet lots of different people. The picture shows the great Kevin Ashman on the left and I was on his team twice!  I felt very star struck and found him to be a very gracious person.  Joan, Kiki and Mark were fellow flutterers and I will spare Mark his photo on this posting.  But he scored very highly- it is going to be very exciting waiting for the new season

Late evening in June

The church was brilliantly lit as I walked down Brushfield street last night.  In the same street a van had pulled up and out came maybe ten people-distributing bags of food to the twenty or so people who literally seemed to come out of the shadows of the market. many spoke eastern european languages and all seemed delighted to get the food. It was a very quiet, subdued scene. Very odd this going on in the shadow of Christ Church where a corporate event was going on.  The irony of this is that that years ago Christ Church Spitalfields used to help the destitute and addicted.  Now it is left to others

Mother Teresa SSM

A not very good glimpse of a pretty remarkable woman. Mother Theresa SSM of Walsingham- on her way back from a mass at the village church. The buggy is now vital so that she can leave the priory She remains a source of strength and inspiration to the many people who come to the Shrine. In constant pain herself she continues her ministry

The National Pilgrimage

Robert lives in the village of Walsingham and is an old friend.  he was busy at The National taking pictures and John came in useful to help him with his tripod. The Mass itself was not as well attended as usual - probably the weather forecast and then the numbers joining the Roman church. As usual we stayed at the Anglican shrine- (it was there first and is in the heart of the village) but we wondered how long before this is a footnote in the history of anglo-Catholicism

http://www.walsinghamanglican.org.uk/welcome/the_national_pilgrimage.htm