Disasters plus further comments

Disasters it has not been a good day. At Mass at New Malden there were only two of us instead of 9 in choir as the rest had gone off to Bruges to sing. It was exhausting to sing at full pitch and the people below were not very loud and often behind us in the choir. But the really bad news is that my favorite clock (a Victorian Slate clock...very heavy..an old family item) has stopped and I need help to get it to the clock shop in Putney, and at the same time the freezer unit on my fridge unit is not working properly (it goes right up to about minus 5 with alarm light showing instead of about minus 18 then goes up again then down again. Engineer to call tomorrow if available. All food saved and in other freezers in the flats here.
FURTHER COMMENTS That stolen babies in Spain business is in the Capsule. It seems that initially under Franco, babies were removed from mothers soon after birth and told they had died. They had in fact been adopted...the reason was that the mothers were deemed politically dangerous ! but then it continued with the excuse that the mothers were morally or economically deficient...usually babies from unmarried mothers. This practice seems to have contined until relatively recently with nuns and priests responsible ! Yet another scandal I am afraid.
ASSISSI PEACE GATHERING BY RAIL. All important particpants including Pope Benedict will gather at the Vatican...the Railway station inside the Vatican and travel together by train to Assissi ! Great stuff, should do a lot for rail travel. The party will include the Bearded Wonder of Canterbury, Moslems, Hindus etc. Unlike the previous get together they participants will pray separately and quietly in rooms with no universal prayer together. A frugal lunch will follow an address by 9 leading participants. The rooms will be an hotel (and presumably the lunch) I suggest pasta, caviar and chips. They will be called "Pilgrims for Peace"
CARDINAL BURKES arrival and departure from Manchester. According to a letter in the Capsule he entered to Handel...Music for the Royal fireworks with the audience buzzing with anticipation. According however to the writer, they left in silence after his speech because of course, they had expected words of encouragement for changes and so called progres and got the complete opposite. The exit music was Vidor (often used at weddings..nice loud bourdon notes)
I will give further details tomorrow