West End Festival

I hasted to Kelvingrove (bonnie lassie-o) yesterday afternoon for the big event of the West End Festival. The park was looking lovely in the sun. Actually, I hasted to Kelvingrove (bonnie lassie-o) twice. I went down once in my dog collar to smile and nod my way through the crowd and speak to people on some of the stalls and then came back home, changed into something a little more comfortable and went back for the parade.

Highlights were the Amnesty stall, the astonishing Falun Gong people meditating in absolute stillness whilst all around them was noisy and busy and the LGBT Youth stall. I’ve not seen LGBT Youth take a stall at the W E Festival before but they certainly knew what they were doing – a steady line of parents and children queuing for facepainting. Brilliant.

Is it next week that it is the Gibson Street Fair? Must try to pop in on St Silas – they are having their open church afternoon which was fab last year. Oh, and I received a request for liturgical equipment from Nick Cox who is organising some of it. Must get in touch to pass over the goods.

And in local news…

And in local news, it is a busy weekend. Here at St Mary’s tomorrow morning we have the second of our festival Sundays. In the morning we welcome the Egidionchor of Nürnberg. I heard them rehearsing yesterday and they sounded fantastic. The music tomorrow is a bit calmer and more thoughtful than last week’s Haydn jamboree and very beautiful.

Choral Evensong at 1830, of course. It is a Howells & Rheinberger fest, with Cullen responses for me to get my voice around.

In the afternoon, I’ll probably be going along to the Gibson Street Fair. The weather forecast is poor for this, so it is good that there are some indoor activities such as those which are listed on St Silas’s weekly leaflet. They are offering massage, contemplation area and the chance to be listened to. Sounds great.

Meanwhile, tonight we’ve got jazz at St Mary’s. John Surman and Howard Moody. Again, I caught a bit of the rehearsal and was blown away. Kickoff is at 7.30.

Also over the next couple of days, the St Mary’s LGBT group has its next meeting. Bishop Idris has kindly agreed to meet with us. Anyone who is happy to meet under the LGBT banner, who would like to be there is welcome, including those from any churches in the diocese which don’t have an LGBT group meeting with +Idris at this time. More details from me via the contact page.

Wednesday, it is dance.

Its all happening, isn’t it?