My copy of volume 3 of Roy Strong’s Diaries has just arrived, which will give me unalloyed pleasure, particularly now that I have checked the entries about myself, in one of which I am described as ‘portly’. It’s true that I’ve never managed to keep up with his exercise regime and every time he sees me he pokes me in the stomach to remind me of its inflation. Now, I can just enjoy the rest of the gossip.