Sunday 6^th December 2009

I was going to tell you – Rufus Pitman came directly from the studio yesterday morning where he had been broadcasting at the highest level on the subject of frockage worn by writers while writing.

Do you know Borough Market, beside London’s Thames? It is a weird kind of straight queenaria, fearfully serious and grim, for those anxious to pay £48.82 for a few grams of jambon iberica. It’s a food market, you see. But from our Spanish breakfast cafe, Rufus and I saw Nigel Slater. Nigel Slater! Angus Willis has met Nigel Slater, of course. Likes.

I don’t know. Does the Poor Little Rich Gay fit in at Borough Market?

We had little op to find out. Rufus has seen the future of perfume and it’s superb. In Paris only Cologne Blanche by Dior is to be had. This, Rufus explained, is the accord from which all subsequent scents will emerge.

At last a fume accord has been reached and we can die certain that our grandchildren (what?) will know no fragrance desert.

‘I’m wearing it.’ Rufus gestured towards his neck. Oh it was marvellous – so quiet, light and complex.

Last New Year, at a party given by Reginald Cresswell, the well-known Ghanaian ceramicist, Rufus wore Mitsuoko, to great effect.

I do hope we will hear more from him on this difficult subject of fume.

And now, Lord Arrowby! I must be careful to keep my head. He has been refined in the furnace of work (oh, a new commission, very hush-hush, perhaps to do with identity cards, hence not seen for weeks) to even greater heights of allure.

People are beautified by work, have you noticed?  This is why waiters are so gorgeous.

And yes, he was wearing bronzer, as well as a very hunky padded jacket. He’s also got a dashing new front lick of hair.

He bought a pie for £5.50, specially discounted for him from £6.50 . He has a weekly pie for his solitary suppers with head in papers, although there are many state banquets as well as private engagements, of course, for Lord A is a huge asset at any function, as you can imagine.

By the way, the bronzer was from Boots. So well-bought, for he had a film star hue. I’m beginning to wonder if my Institute Esthederm at £28 a bottle is worth it.

Rufus and Lord A engaged in light queenaria at a French cheese stall. But really we took little advantage of openings offered by Borough Market. So much else to think of. No grandeur over  muesli with single-estate dried pineapple.