Two days in Canterbury

This is the 54th time I have stayed at Garrington Farm. Sister Anne and husband David have lived here for 57 years. The house is full of many memories. With four children and eight granchildren it has been like a "honeypot" to the family who regularly visit. Son Robert lives on the farm and now manages about 3000 acres in six diferent farms. There are only about four workers and farming is done with huge machinary. On Sunday the family were consumed with plans following David's hip repair. I drove my sister the half hour to Margate to visit him and again on Monday. Of interest - the original Margate Hospital was built in 1930. During WWII my father travelled from Canterbury to Margate to give anasthetics to wounded soldiers who came ashore after Dieppe and Dunkurk. On Sunday Anne cooked partridge that Phillip had brought home after a shoot on Friday. On Monday afternoon there was a talk on Anglo-Saxon Britain - history before the battle of Hastings in 1066. In the evening my sister joined me to listen to the "Young Musician's Bursary Competition" at St Gregory's Centre for music (part of Canterbury University). It was the first live concert Anne had been to for at least 18 months. The bursaries are available to those who live in Kent. It is for 12-14 yr olds and 15-18 yrs old. What a pleasure to hear the amazing talent on Cello, Piano, Violin, Euphonium, Piano, Clarinet, Violin, Tenor Horn and Flute.

Arrival Canterbury

I left Nottingham at 12.12 and was able to transfer at St Pancras to a train an hour earlier than planned. That means I got to Canterbury at 15.08. On the train a call from my sister Anne meant that plans were going to change in the next two weeks. Anne's husband David had fallen at 6 am and fractured his left hip. He ended up in Margate hospital and he had a hip replacent repair on Sunday evening. My grand neice Ruth and her boyfriend Max wanted to go to the Festival Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral at 5.30. There was the full (women's) choir and the men Lay Clerks. One lesson read by the Festival chairman. The Lord and Lady Mayor of Canterbury were in attendance with their vestments (badges worn around their necks - not sure what they are called). Lovely singing and we were able to sit close by the choir in the stalls. I had a quick beer and pulled pork tacco with Ruth and Max. What a pleasure it is to chat with young people - they are in their early twenties. He a graphic artist and Ruth presently working as a Barrista in a coffee shop. At 7.30 was a superb concert by Supersize Polyphony. Sadly my sister Anne was not able to be with me. The nave of the Cathedral was about 80% full. People wearing masks walking around but not sitting where there was no social distancing seatings. There were six different choirs. All early music instruments. The music sounded much like Monteverdi's vespers. Unusual composers - Striggio and Von Bingen. Also Thomas Tallis "Spem in Alium". The second half was Henrich Biber's Missa Salisburgensis. 53 different parts in this piece. The sound in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral when sitting near the front was uplifting.