Sunday 6th December 2015

I forgot to say that Prince Dmitri got caught in a shower on the way here for the Thanksgiving (without the American aspect) Dinner last week. His blue-chip  overcoat was quite soaked at the shoulders. A great profundity struck me: what can money buy? Prince Dmitri’s got a Porsche (although not in it last week obvs). His salary is, well, blue-chip… easily matching the takings of such as Matt Driver or Robin Smallmeal. But still the rain fell upon him and he was drenched. It really is incredible. Some months ago Anthony Mottram, ‘consultant’ of Prague, and I were wondering about money: he said he was checking the markets every ten seconds. It’s all psychological: how much one has depends on mood. Money is always in the future, never the present. If present money is spent, where will future money come from?  Last night Rufus Pitman asked me to join him in India in January. Somehow a couple of thou is just too much to hack from the reserves. There is no limit to what one might do. More money only opens up more possibilities which turn out to be impossible. The only way to be totally rich is either to borrow, or acquire a limitless fortune of at least 150 million.

The other thing that happened is that Robert Nevil attacked soft water at the dinner. He absolutely hates soft water, says it induces sliminess. He condemns it about every six months. It’s one of things he really cares about – how awful soft water is. I was brought up far, far away in the West. We had the softest wools and hair, just one flake of Lux soaped a whole bowl of water. We had lovely, lovely soft water. It was our pride. Often it was mentioned by the Gay Mother and Gay Granny: the heavenly soft water of those parts, compared to the harsh, skin-lashing hard water found elsewhere. How we hated hard water. We didn’t know then, not having access to that kind of detail, how it scales up pipes and kettles and actually can split the hands after a hard domestic day. Bruce McBain, my private architect, favours a water softening plant to be installed in all homes. Every time I hear Robert Nevil putting down soft water, however hard I try to see the point of view of others, it is as if a knife were being twisted in my heart. I’m sure the Virgin feels it too.