14th August. Flat out week preparing details and plans for the future of the Wincanton Window while also completing my portrait of Sarah Darlington for the Bruton Art Soc exhibition. Then on Monday attended Town Council meeting. Very depressing when the finance and general purposes committee apear to have withdrawn support. By today it has been resolved in my mind. As is usually the case what happened was cock-up and not conspiracy – or so it seems. Then on Wednesday the Peoples Plan meeting in the Town Hall. Bernard Pearson becomes Chairman as he wishes, but by only one vote. Colin Winder who was the original chairman in 2007 will not find that easy. It could though be a great opportunity for the town if we keep our focuson the needs of the town and not on our own agendas. Still I see the role of the Wincanton Window in this project being crucial for a web mag provides opportunities for ongoing discussion nothing else does. We are however reaching crunch time. The Wincanton Window has to become self-supporting from Association members and business sponsors. I think we can do it.
7th August. A week being father and grandparentwhich has been great. Took Eleanor swimming . She kept going for an hour of flat out aquatic activity, swimming about five lengths , talking endlessly, diving to the bottom of the deep-end and playing endless imaginary games. Came home and crashed out on the sofa. Exhausting. Apart from that daily work-outs fo 40 mns in the gym plus ten lengths make me feel really well and fit. Hope to keep it up Monday to Friday.
Love Film charlotte Rampling in Under the Sand. Fantasically powerful , sexy and mind dominating film. At 55 she is incredibly gorgeous and expressive in a subtle, totally compelling way. The sort of film that really gets inside your head and makes most seem so shallow and inconsequential by comparison.
25th July: Quaker Meeting. I find the hour of corporate silence of the Meeting really good. A chance to open up and watch what the mind presents and where attention wanders. Today it was the weird experience of the course on Road Safety attended for £60 on Saturday instead of getting 3 points for speeding at 37 mph in a 30 mph zone. 16 of us all unwilling attenders and we ended up after three hours thanking our intructor /trainer in Tauton who had been extremely good and made us all think. I would never have thought such an outcome could be possible. I must write up the experience.
The intention is to use this for topical comment. 15th July.
Abortion, sexuality and the Pope. What seemed controversial and out on a limb 18 mnths ago, now has become widely accepted. The Pope and the current hierarchy – who are all his and his predecssors appointments, are unable to clear themselves of complicity in covering up and moving on abusive priests and religious. The hierarchy in Ireland, the US, Aystralia and now Germany and Austria has lost moral authority among Catholic laity (and probably many clergy) to an unprecedented degree.
I think Ratzinger should resign. If he had been Archbishop of Canterbury he would have been gone long ago. The Church now needs to turn back and re-explore Vatican 2. in a BIG WAY.
The LIB-CON Coalition. Education. Gove’s abandoning of the disasterously funded PFI schemes for schools had to be done, but where is the pupil premium I thought was part of the agreement and just what are the powers and responsibilities of the LEAs in a situation where the best performing schools are being encouraged to opt out of LEA support . Will not those left behind be made to fail?
Death, Dementia, Pensions, Elderly Care. All a nightmare needing radical solutions.