Birthday celebrations in Sir Rocco Forte's garden
Summer has arrived in London. A riot of hydrangea colours the Ritz's Piccadilly frontage, and outside Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant on Royal Hospital Road, the agapanthus are blooming.
There were more agapanthus on show in Sir Rocco Forte's beautiful central London garden, where I went to a press party yesterday to mark the tenth birthday of Rocco Forte Hotels. Sir Rocco was there, of course, along with Lady Forte - who looked stunning - and his sister, the hotel designer Olga Polizzi.
When journalists get together, the conversation can quickly descend into a game of one-upmanship, and yesterday was no different. There were loads of luxury travel, conference and incentive journos at the bash, and they all proceeded to outdo one another with tales of swanky press trips to New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, the West Indies ... I was able to get my own back, mind you, when the conversation turned to UK restaurants.
Sir Rocco was on top form, and told me all about his training for the forthcoming triathlon world championships. I munched guiltily away on the tasty canapes circulating the garden, as he described his gruelling daily exercise regime. How is it that captains of industry always manage to fit two-hour, pre-dawn gym sessions into their super-hectic schedules?