Oh what japes yesterday! It gave me a secret twinge of joy to know that the journalists who turned up in the faint hope of seeing me squirm in the council chamber were, themselves, about to fall victim to my own cunning powers.
My able deputy David Taylor told one of the gutter press that I was in London. My loyal press office told another that I had taken time off for illness. And the truth was I was actually selecting decoration for the new house! There is a great deal to do. Walls to be knocked down, doors to be changed, fittings to be added and space to be made. I anticipate stress on a very grand scale as Farrow and Ball move in with pigs' bristles at the ready.
