{Church Police}[17th August 1971]

[Redbook1:221-223][19710817:1915d]{Church Police}[17th August 1971]

17th August 1971

7.15pm [continued]

Church Police  (locking North door)  ‘Move along, please.  Closing time.’

Self  (sadly)  ‘Are you really closing?  How awful.’

           

Self  ‘Is it possible to see the royal Chapels?’

C.P.  ‘Before 4pm any day of the week’ (or something like that).

Self  ‘What happens to anyone who wants to pray in the Abbey after its shut?’

C.P. (NCO?)  (After a slight pause)  ‘Well, they’ve got plenty of time before, haven’t they?

‘You’ve still got a few minutes if you want to pray – there, over there (gesturing towards West Door).

Self  ‘Thanks, I’ve already prayed.’

C.P.  ‘Or you could go to the Cathedral.’

Self  ‘The Cathedral?’

C.P.  ‘Westminster Cathedral.’

Self  ‘Oh, the Catholic place.’

C.P.  ‘That’s right.  Move along, please!’

            (All the public are herded into the south side, towards the West door.  One or two attempting to move the wrong way are politely but firmly – and briefly – ordered back into line.  I fall into conversation with a more senior and educated? member of the Church Police, possibly of the Officer class?

Self (sadly) ‘How awful that the Church should be closed!’

C.P.  ‘Well, if you’d like to volunteer for the twenty-four hour watch....’

Self  (hurriedly)  ‘I do appreciate that....’

Self  (sadly)  ‘Do you know, before I came here I was in St. Paul’s from two o’clock onwards, and ever since then I’ve been pushed around.’

(I decided not to add ‘by the Church Police’ at the last minute).

C.P.  ‘It’s almost as bad here, too’ (missing the implication entirely). ‘We had 50,000 people through here this morning.’

Self  -- trying to think of some suitable comment or Biblical quotation, and failing, I leave, shaking my head sadly.  I wander into the Cloisters, and re-enter the Abbey while everyone else is being turned out by the same C.P. Officer.  I pass by the West Door and linger, gazing at that marvellous structure from the West until – genuinely depressed – I catch the Church Police Officer’s eye and leave hurriedly.

I am slightly troubled about the ethics of showing American tourists around now.  Still, I suppose if I don’t do it someone else will do it more loudly.  Also, I hope the Church Police don’t recognise me.

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