Autobiographical sketches 76 - Stepney Green

Before I swapped with the family in Clerkenwell I lived temporarily in Stepney Green on the Ocean Estate. The kids had a huge bonfire while I was there. It felt like living in the wild West. That night anyway.

The rats were far too visible there.

Autobiographical sketches 41 - Blanaid drawing - Grimthorpe House

We used to live in Clerkenwell. And Blanaid used to sit in the lounge drawing for school projects. She used to make little books, writing and illustrating them. I have no idea from where she gets that kind of urge.
She went to Clerkenwell Parochial, it's a really old primary school. Charles Dickens used to visit there to talk to the children.
It was a church school and the church attached to it was the Holy Redeemer, a really, really REALLY High Church - we had parades with all the old Italian-London floats and statues etc.
Father Paul, who wears one of those round topped wide brimmed black hats still is the vicar there.
I now rehearse in the church with my choir, the Collegium Musicum of London. What a coincidence you may think?
That's Sophie, our cat sprawled on the floor. She had only the use of three legs since an accident on Broadford Road in Ladybridge, back in Bolton, when she was staying at my mum's. That road was really dangerous for cats, the cars used to fly round.

Monteverdi Vespers

First rehearsal tonight for the choir and the Autumn concert of the Monteverdi Vespers. Both rehearsals and concert are in the Holy Redeemer on Exmouth Market. That's a home from home for me, as it was the church associated with Blanaid's school, Clerkenwell Parochial. It's quite striking, very Italianate and baroque, I like singing in there.