Diary
The day James Blunt stripped off in front of me
The beautiful British actress Samantha Eggar has died in LA. I hope that will be the last in a spate of deaths among friends and celebrities in the past three months. First it was Terence Stamp, the handsome actor who starred with Samantha in
The Collector, which made them both into stars. Then the legendary Robert Redford, whose many fabulous performances in exceptional movies make today’s film output look positively anaemic. The Way We Were, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and Indecent Proposal are just a few of the brilliantly entertaining films he starred in. I met him only once, on a flight from New York to LA. He was charming, standing up from his first-class seat to exchange pleasantries. Also in the first-class compartment on that flight were Al Pacino and the famous prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson case, Marcia Clark, who canoodled under a blanket with a young lover for the entire flight. I turned to my friend Nolan Miller and said: ‘If this plane goes down, who would get top billing?’
Joan with friend Samantha Eggar
Then there was Diane Keaton’s death, which was a great shock to the film community. A marvellously versatile actor, she enlivened so many iconic films. Percy sat next to her in March at a dinner hosted by Sherry Lansing, Hollywood producer and ex-head of Paramount, and all Diane could keep saying was: ‘I’m crazy. I’m just so crazy.’ Diane’s death was preceded by the loss of Dame Jilly Cooper, mourned by so many of her readers. All these people left their mark on society and entertainment, but one who left a great mark on the hospitality business was Patrice de Colmont, the owner and life and soul of the renowned Riviera bistro Le Club 55. Everyone who was anyone living in or visiting the south of France would go for lunch there – if they could get a table. The avuncular Patrice guarded his placement with bulldog determination. He also kept out the photographers and the paparazzi, so the many celebrities could eat and drink with impunity. The only time I ever saw paparazzi make it through was when Elizabeth Taylor and her date George Hamilton arrived. They broke the banks of dedicated waiters and swarmed around the famous couple, causing chaos. Elizabeth was charming and took it all in her stride as the offending paps were trundled off.
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| Joan at Club 55 with friends including Nikki Haskell & Ivana Trump |
I was a great admirer of Margaret Thatcher and so I was delighted to be a guest of honour at the lavish celebration at the Guildhall of what would have been her 100th birthday. The hall was filled with grandees and politicos, most of them proudly flaunting their medals and honours (as did I). I sat between the Canadian former foreign minister John Baird and Lord Archer, tastefully dressed in velvet jacket and… white sneakers.
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| Joan at The Thatcher Gala |
Conversation was spirited, despite Lord Archer having left his hearing aid at home. After Sir Conor Burns introduced me, I made a short speech. I think most people only want to hear short speeches. Boris Johnson’s speech, though long, was full of flavour and fun, even if some of it was incomprehensible. In my speech, I recalled being invited to the White House by Nancy and Ronald Reagan during Thatcher’s time as PM. When I arrived, the president asked: ‘How’s my gal Maggie?’ ‘I think she’s doing great,’ I replied. ‘She’s a great gal,’ he said. Indeed, she was a great gal and we all raised our glasses to her that night.
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| Joan with Gabriella Peacock |
We’ve been attempting to lose a few pounds, trying to shed the summer spread. Basically, cutting down portions, wine and sugar. No Mounjaro for us. Since it was Percy’s birthday last week, we allowed ourselves a couple of ‘cheat days’ and promptly gained back the pounds we had shed over several weeks. If only everything in life was as easy as getting fat.
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