` My editor says I ramble so I thought I’d begin by doing what posh papers do and start by describing how the blog gets compiled. The important point is that I write as it happens with a risk therefore of repetition. Thus it is now early morning on July 13 and I am sitting at my laptop preparing to write the start of the month. I shall edit in the interests of truth and honesty ie little. Lucy visits in the afternoon and I always work early.
It is July 13th and during the MCC versus the world cricket match at Lord’s Brett Lee broke Shane Warne’s hand. I found the whole thing contrived and the moment was the only memorable one. Lee was bowling and apparently claimed his hand slipped – a likely story! Penny, who unusually for an Australian dislikes cricket, sat next to a retired judge from Devon and they had a convivial chat. I, sitting in a special place for the disabled, felt a fraud.
Next day we went to an exhibition at the Tate devoted to Alan Clark’s father Kenneth. His greatest achievement was probably the TV series “Civilisation” and he had a large nose that he looked around if not actually down. Or did he? It’s the difference between perception and reality. My perception is that he looked down his nose but is this the reality? Thousands tuned in and they presumably thought him engaging. Did they? And were they right? Discuss. That same day we had an expensive anniversary lunch in the Whistler room with a mural by Rex and watched the men’s final at Wimbledon on telly at the Rag. Djokovic beat Federer.
The day we arrived I had lunch with my son Tristram and his son Joshua in the Ribbon bar at the club. Outside. Very satisfactory . That evening we had dinner out followed by Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy in David Hare’s latest. Splendid. On Monday we transferred to a friend in Tooting and a day at Kew Gardens and two dinner parties. Just back from another trip to London where we stayed in Putney and took in a day at Lord’s to watch Hong Kong lose – just – at cricket. Small wonder if I ramble! I think we did this but it may have been that and perhaps it was last month but maybe next. You’re lucky to get whole sentences!
Talking about perception and reality I thought it would be helpful to explain my rambling thoughts. For a start I take refuge in endless discussion and reality leads on to what is real – the Spanish woman who wants me to be at this morning’s session with Joy. Or Joy herself or the bus, the hot chocolate and the walking? Discuss. And the bishop. And Exeter. And the flat. And money. And talking of money what about the latest whodunit? Well…46.000! I hesitate to call that any kind of process but coupled with an effort, half-hearted, to stick to a time frame that’s how I write the blog. Come to that, I really must write up the difference between subjective perception and objective reality; it’s all tied in with stuff about he does take sugar doesn’t he? Oh, all right. Discuss.
It is now the beginning of August and Emma and gang arrive tomorrow. Where was I? Ah yes, in Tooting where I fell at a friend’s dinner party. The other guests said they would have fallen too but they would, wouldn’t they? Anyway I fell after dinner with a resounding crack, our hostess administered Arnica and all was well and the only sustained bruising was to my ego. Kew was in a wheelchair which was if anything worse. I felt fraudulent as always and left wife and friends to do their own thing. Friend pushed! Putney was grand in a similar way – no wheelchair but special parking arrangement and in the pavilion an attendant wished me luck! Much of the time I read cookbooks in Putney with the border terrier while wife and hostess went to various galleries and shoe shoppes. Felt sorry for self and only communication from my NYC publisher at home saved the day. Is this what I’m reduced to? Much struck by how well meaning and essentially er…well meaning everyone is. They say it’s better to give than to receive and how right they are. Receiving is receiving! Emma, my editor, should wait until the next blog so I must return to Putney and Tooting. Our Tooting hostess just sent us a droll email and our Putney one Claudia Roden for which many thanks in both cases. Both were much appreciated and fun!
The nitty-gritty is that Maud is now over 47,000 words and obviously rising, I haven’t heard more from the Leveller and I have got the disability form from Peggy and on-passed it to Penny. Evidently I exceeded my authority in the last case but we shall see. A friend just invited us to stay in France. So life is looking up. Promise to do something on perception, reality and taking sugar…