Sat Oct 7th
A golden Autumn day - impossible to stay indoors - as email here at home still intermittent at best, raced off on bike to use library, internet cafe etc. It does feel a bit surreal sitting in an crowded cafe which smells of bacon sandwiches and writing about Limbo, reviewing muddled drivel on the Web in the world's media on this subject. It's the name that has always worried people - sounds so ghastly, babies floating in gray mist, unloved by anyone. I have met (older) women, esp those who have lost babies, very distressed by this notion: all that is required is assurance that all who die innocent and unbaptised are completely safe and loved by God in a place of peace and happiness....presumably this is what the H. Father will at some stage be explaining. At present, the debate is beginning to sound like those tiresome conversations which began with "Well, you Catholics used tio be told it was sinful not to eat fish on Fridays, but now....." and explanations such as "Well, it asn't a matter of eating fish, but -" were cut short with "Oh, I just don't want to know about your daft Church!"

It's interesting that the Irish press, in particular, seize every opportunity of attacking and insulting the idea of God and Church - each new media headline on a Christian-related subject is grabbed with glee. The Irish seem to be engaging in a great self-satisfying wallow of antiCatholicism, with everyone agreeing how wrong the Church and all its ministers have been down all the years.....there will be no end to this for a while, there'll be a good many more ihadaterriblecatholicchildhood paperbacks and much howdidweallowourselvestobesofooled stuff before there can be a wider, deeper and more realistic exploration of the things that really matter.

Dinner-dance at The Queens Stand, Epsom Racecourse! We went with friends to this very enjoyable celebration of 10th birthday of Oakwood, local Catholic prep school launched by a group of parents.....had our pic taken as we went in and gosh, we look v. middle-aged. Almost comical contrast to all those pix of young officer and bride at regimental dances and dinners in Berlin and elsewhere in the 1980s....

J. and I hardly ever dance together, so it was nice to do that, and to relax and enjoy ourselves with so many friends. We had a really good time.