4th November, 2005

The few remaining socialist clients of mine will, I hope, forgive me commenting that every now and again living in Blair's Britain has its redeeming moments. Watching Blunkett edging his way towards a second resignation this year was satisfying enough, but seeing the PM's total humiliation at the hands of Michael Howard, was utterly joyous. I was struck too by Blunkett's plea that "Having investments and holding shares in modern Britain is not a crime." Pretty much everything else is though. I'm off hound exercising tomorrow. What is this fixation with "modernising" Britain anyway? Even Cameron is slipping into the trap....or am I showing my age?

I slept badly last night woken early by the sound of a bird, breaking Cambridge's tranquillity, with a very persistent and distinctive call. A single ascending pee-eeep repeated every two seconds or so. Next thing I knew it was 1992 and I was at an OG Dinner in Government House in Hong Kong. Sir David ( now Lord ) Wilson, then the Governor, was an OG and had very kindly agreed to host us. Beautiful surroundings, black tie, countless servants running about.... it was all very smart and not a little daunting. I was happy, but a little surprised to find myself sitting next to David Scott, an interesting character, who was then Asian strategist for WI Carr. Surprised, because as much as I racked my brains, I could not remember anything about him at school. Not which house he had been in, whether we had played rugby together or been in the same orchestra. Eventually, at the risk of offending because he was clearly roughly the same ages as me, I asked him when he had left. "Och no" he said, " I didnae go to that dump. I was at Kelvinside Academy!" He had received an invitation though, from the organiser, who had assumed he was a different David Scott, a lawyer, who had indeed gone to Glenalmond, but he thought it would be a good crack so had accepted with alacrity. The bare-faced cheek of it eh?! Anyway, it turned out he was an ornithologist, as well as a strategist. I've lost contact with him, but if any of you has an interest in birds and could tell me what it was that kept me awake from 4.30am this morning I'd be very interested to hear from you.