After watching the changing of the guard at Whitehall Palace - it is slightly more dramatic and spectacular than the foot soldiers half an hour later at Buckingham Palace - we walked up to Trafalgar Square via Whitehall. I showed the exact spot that Charles 1st was executed (immediately outside the first window of the Banqueting House) and the black smudge on the face of the clock of the tower at Whitehall that shows the moment the King was executed (which most people assume is pigeon poo).
We walked into the square to witness one of the last of 2400 performers of the previous 100 days that had been human installation artists changing every hour. My guests were frankly too puzzled to really get it but they enjoyed the idea.
We proceeded to the chocolate haven that is Coco Maya on Connaught Street. Disaster...it was closed because they were between premises and the new premises were not ready. Thank fully Fortnums, those profoundly different, provided a suitably impressive alternative.
Lunch at the Petersham Cafe was, as always, an astounding success and I was delighted that they got me a table at an hour's notice. My principal guest was so happy with everything so far that whilst his wife and daughter were admiring the plants, asked me to oraganise an European adventure next year for 12 people to celebrate his and his wife's 50th wedding anniversary.
We arrived at Windsor Castle in fabulous autumn light and practically had the place to ourselves. I adore the Rubens in the Kings Drawing Room and the chandeliers in the Queens Ball Room.
After dropping my guests back at Chesham Street, firm friends by now, Yousseff dropped me back in Mayfair to see my friend Stefan Lindblom - formerly of Ricard James and now running the Ralph Lauren franchise in Dubai - who is back in London for a short visit.
Friday 9th October
It was interesting to go to Imperial Wharf in Fulham, just adjacent to Chelsea Harbour. Its one of those developments that makes you wonder who lives there. Most of them are investments for people swept up for better or worse in the 'buy to let' mortgage market. Its a huge development that manages to make homes look like a vast pile of white goods. Yet I was going to see my family...my nephew Sam Renouf who is moving to the far East, hosted a family dinner party. I shared a cab back with my brother Gerard....unfortunately he had to take the cab back to collect some documents then again the next day as he'd left his wig (I might eplain that he is a barrister.....).
Saturday 10th October
The Art Fair at Chelsea Hospital is part of the simply magnificant display of art and design available in London from Battersea Park through Berkley Square and onto Regents Park.
It is impressive that there are always 1000 Ivan Hitchens for sale at any one time...and that is just in London.
Sunday 11th October
Joined my friend Craig Delamare at the Bumpkin Restaurant in Nottinghill Gate for lunch. Craig has recently become the AGM and is adding very much to the character of the place....which is already cosy and fun and wonderful to waste away an afternoon with the papers.
Monday 12th
Sally convened a meeting for Whitefriars Glass. The whole re launch is becoming increasingly exciting.
Tuesday 13th
I applied to be the resident artist for one or two select cruise line companies...it should be interesting to see what the experience would be like...I have always been so very curious. The writer Richard Mason went on a cruise when I was in Venice in January but he literally jumped ship after 4 days because he found it hideous as well as prison like. He had thought he was going to be dressing for dinner but I think he got in with the wrong company and ended up on an extended booze run.
At 6pm I arrived at the pop-up club at the House of Saint Barnabas. I had offered to teach art to help raise money for charity. Nathaniel had organised it beautifully and as always it was fun to help and witness people dis inhibiting themselves and coming up with some thing that they actually surprised themselves with....
We were joined again by my gorilla breeding, African art dealer, the Maronite Catholic from the Lebanon, Paulie Raad. Paulie gave some inspiring words to all about releasing the creative from within before he and I headed off to Adam Jacot's book launch at Daunt Books in Marylebone High Street. There we met up with Desmond MacCarthy, Hugh St Clair and Andrew Snodgrass.
I went to MacDonalds on the way home.
Wednesday 14th October
My landlady arrived early from the country to announce that she has decided to put the flat on the market and therefore give me one months notice. whilst totally within her rights this was a shock for me as I have only been there less than 2 months and had started to feel at home. All moves are unsettling.
Mary Killen texted me to say that she couldn't access my website, which she was trying to show some one. Craig Brown and his wife Frances Welch arrived to go to the Tatler party whilst I went off to the launch of the newly jazzed up Elgin Pub on Ladbroke Grove. It was a lavish and generous do with oysters and cocktails...it was fun to see that staff who had been bussed up from the Pheonix in Chelsea (my old local) as it is a sister establishment.... On the way back I got a txt from Olinda Adeane who at that very moment was on the vaporetto in Venice en route to her apartment in the Guidecca and how she had been reading Tatler on the plane and how she though Nicky Haslam was a fantasist about his bedroom antics with David Hicks in rubber suits, Tony Snowdon AND Roddy Lewellyn and thinking he was in danger of doing a Capote. Olinda said that she felt like Madame de Genlis - living in exile and reading about our club openings in Tatler.....along with another invitation to stay in the spring
I got into bed and finished Eleanor Barry's book on Robert Maxwell. It is extremely funny and I now want to read her book called 'The Story of Paddy'.