23rd May 2012
Yesterday we our had 19th wedding anniversary - it was actually one of the nicest ones I've enjoyed for a while. We gave each other small presents, and I got another lovely bunch of wild flowers picked from the verge near Westwood Cross (our local shopping centre). It was - after a dully windy start - a beautiful sunny day, and I spent time gardening, and making a lovely sourdough carrot cake and some bread and tidying the kitchen. I was quite domestic.
In the evening we went to hear a talk by Marcus Holden - a local Catholic priest on Pugin and the conversion of England. Unfortunately he had had to swap with Thursday's lecturer - Joanna Bogle, who was meant to be talking about the English pilgrimage tradition. She is a woman who,. while enthusiastic and friendly, had an underlying awfulness which I spotted quickly. Ultramontane, big on rosaries, said that Benedict XVI was the finest theologian since Aquinas.....?!!!! and talked to us as if we were 10 year olds - and told us we must sign the petition against gay marriage and that the church would NEVER allow women priests and wasn't the Ordinariat of Walsingham wonderful?.... I would like to say I had learned something new - but I learned one thing: that the abbot of Glastonbury was hung on the top of Glastonbury Tor, and that it totally shocked people - also, was reminded of the interesting thought that people didn't think the Reformation would last....
So, what to do? I felt reminded of all the worst traits of the church. Being talked down to was just appalling, however lovely and well-intentioned she was. I tried to analyse what made me so cross - and it was this, that in a time when people are trying to understand religion honestly, and are put off by ritual and silly beliefs and exclusivity - she was talking up all the things that most alienate outsiders from the faith. But perhaps she never meets any non-Catholics or new agers or atheists in her daily life? [Or perhaps she doesn't think the Church should be reaching out to them?]
It was a relief to get out and go to supper at Albarino the lovely new tapas bar in Broadstairs - we had the chef's selection of tapas - plus some fantastic olives and almonds to start, a bottle of Spanish white Viura and 2 coffees.. £52 not bad. One of our cheaper anniversary meals... the food tasted very fresh and lovely - lots of bits of roast veg, amazing chickpea and fennel chips with mayo, lovely hake, good salad - leaves unbelieveably fresh and tasty... stuffed aubergine a bit boring, venison burgers nice - but thinking eating the bun was a mistake... shortly after that I began to feel a bit crap.. white flour and alcohol do seem to do that to me. We walked along the seafront briefly - it was so warm and lovely, that holiday feeling!
This morning the sun is not yet out - thin cloud - soon to be burned off, but I feel awful - my virus seems to have returned! All my joints ache, and I may just go back to bad.
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