Farewells and Fortnum's

His Naughtiness phoned to say goodbye this morning. He is on his way back to Fort Knox and the Medical Unit at the U.S. Army School in Kentucky. He will try and keep in touch, but it will be difficult from there. I felt a great wave of sadness and a feeling of loss today which only lifted slightly when I met my good friends Cynthia Rogers and Maxine Thomas for a wicked tea at Fortnum & Mason’s in Picadilly – (less than 24 hours since re-joining Weight Watchers!!) and I tucked in to smoked salmon finger sandwiches; two scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam and a small chocolate mousse, to drown my sorrows whilst the pianist with a beautiful smile played "Feelings" on a grand piano in the centre of the room. We had a most interesting discussion about the rise and fall of powerful men. - Cynthia's father, the distinguished writer Robert Coughlan having ghosted "Time to Remember" the Matriarchal Rose Kennedy's memoirs - and travel, Maxine being off to to various countries in the Southern Antipodes soon.

Main pic: "Not in each other's shade" K Gibran/Sylvan

Naughtiness has been such a source of delight and support over the past few weeks and I will miss my young admirer and his loving late night phone calls. Bon voyage Russell Herring – safe journey. Don’t forget me please.

Tonight I had supper with darling Jane Russell, not the movie star, but nevertheless a very glamorous and exotic 82 year old who lives in Belgravia, and has had a most interesting life in her career with the Washington Post and a racy past! She claims over 100 male lovers - and one female - and has a wonderful sense of humour! We had Shepherds Pie and peas and mixed yoghurts to follow. She has kindly suggested that this blog should be a book and that we should try and get it published and raise some money for one of the Cancer Charities, and I went to discuss how to accomplish this with her help whilst I treated her with Native American Indian Hopi candles to clear her ears. She has some great ideas on how to proceed, and when it is finished I shall have a go!

Mia is on half term holiday and has had a shot at writing an essay on Rome and The Romans having watched a short video. It is a one line essay, and is goes like this:

ROME

I think it is

mostly about

billdings.

Mia (aged 8)

Her doting Mama (we don’t use the g....ma word!) of course thinks she is
brilliant, and if you had to write an essay about Rome in one sentence this shows a touch of genius and is amazingly and accurately succinct.