Weekly Record

7th October 2007

After a bit of confusion and a slight break down of communication on my part – it must be my part as the Deans don’t make mistakes – the Record is being written rather later than usual this week. In the heightened state of excitement and anticipation that I was in last week I had forgotten that the Dean had asked me to write this week’s article as he was away at an ‘In-Service’ training course in Leeds. I am afraid that I had other things on my mind as it’s not every week that a girl goes to New York is it? The build up to my break away was quite erm, ‘energetic’, and I think my colleagues were glad to see the back of me, although they were kind enough not to say as such. It was only when I got back that I rather guessed they were a bit fed up of me starting sentences with, ‘When I was in New York….’ when one of them went home early, one went home sick, and the other one closed their office door!

But life goes on in Cathedral House and you can’t use the excuse of being jet lagged for too long. It’s headlong into a very busy weekend starting with our monthly planning meeting with Heads of Departments, which reviews all the events that have taken place over the past month in the Cathedral and looks ahead to what is happening as far as the end of November. Then there is the final wedding of 2007 in the Cathedral. There have been quite a lot this year and each one has been beautiful in their own right. It’s funny because the clergy and I have noticed that there has been a big increase in people crying at our weddings this year – and they have all been the grooms! But despite the tears (of joy we think!) and the poor summer the sun has come out and shone on almost all the couples.

By the time you read this the Choir Association will have had another one of their fund raising events in the form of a Wine and Wisdom Quiz evening in the Gibberd Room which are always great fun. I would gave been a good bet to have had on a team as John Cain, the man with all the questions, and more importantly the answers, was in my office the other day preparing for it and between us we went through all the answers!

On Sunday afternoon we are hosting the Annual Mass for People with Disabilities at 3.00pm which is always a very lively affair with a wonderful atmosphere. Despite the meticulous planning of the liturgy, I think it is fair to say and I hope Nugent Care won’t mind, but we tend to think, ‘Anything could happen, and probably will.’ and we are never quite sure what is going to happen next. This year the theme is ‘We Grow Together’ and the congregation have been asked to bring back the plants that they took away last year to see how much has changed and flourished over the past twelve months.

I think I had better stay away as I am enough trouble as it is. The Cathedral Christmas Card which I took responsibility for producing is about to be revealed. This involved one very unstable stable, a shining star, two donkeys, (but we could only use one as no amount of waving a bag of carrots could persuade the second one to come through the door), an extremely nervous photographer and a ‘Joseph’ who had a bad case of stage-fright. Can’t wait to see the final result next week.

Claire Hanlon
Assistant to the Dean