[Redbook1:221-223][19710817:1915c]{Church
Police}[17th August 1971]
17th August 1971
7.15pm [continued]
I went to
St Paul’s [Cathedral] this afternoon;
after I had been there half an hour and was beginning to absorb something of
its inspiration, a fussy young verger (?) no older than myself herded us all to
the West end for the Service. His manner
was supercilious. During the Service,
which I watched from the West end, he walked in the aisle (?) and spoke to
another similar official.
On my way
back I went to Westminster Abbey. The
Royal Chapels were already closed. I had
just found Poets’ Corner when we were condescendingly informed by loudspeaker
that since Evensong was to begin in twenty minutes we should either take our
seats in the choir or, if we could not attend, ‘it is now time for you to
leave’. We were herded out, but I sat at
the back through the service -- hoping to recover something that I have lost with
religion. This was made slightly more
difficult by the vergers (?) -- men and women in gowns this time -- who had a
habit of intercepting -- relatively loudly -- anyone who wandered during Divine
Service.
Afterwards
I finished my exploration of Poets’ Corner and had just got well into Statesmens’
Corner when I was asked to move on again: the Abbey was closing. I must admit I acted a bit in one sense, but
everything I said, I felt deeply. I was
depressed by it all.
(Approximate reproduction [follows]:)
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