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Wanted to see Simon Pemberton‘s award-winning work in a small exhibition at the V&A, but first trundled across to Regent Street to look for a new suit. Had been disappointed to find that a suit series I have used for years, via Gieves & Hawkes, was no longer available. Didn’t much like the Jaeger styles – and it was Sale time, so problematic anyway.

So we pottered down Saville Row, thinking it might just be time for made-to-measure, but suspecting that it would be too expensive. Then went back into G&H, on a hunch, to find that made-to-measure there would be only slightly more expensive – and that there was a sale of cloth on. So, somewhat accidentally, it looks as if I may be well suited this fall.

Have always been fascinated by good shop window displays in places like New Bond Street – and my eye was particularly caught by a safe in the belly of a gorilla at what point, and then several blocks on, what I recognised as Vought Corsairs in a Patek Philippe window. They also had a fish illustration, which echoed later in the afternoon when we went on to the V&A – and happened upon the Ichthys font by Colin Reid, which is extraordinary.

In the middle, lunch in the restaurant on the top floor of of Waterstone’s, having bought yet more books in the hope of reading at least a few next week. Am part way through several books at the moment, including The Winds of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Among the books I bought today were Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (which I’m keen to read again), Nicola Tesla’s My Inventions and Other Writings, Ferdinand von Schirach’s The Girl Who Wasn’t There (I enjoyed his earlier book, The Collini Case), Brendan Simms’ The Longest Afternoon, Adam Thorpe’s On Silbury Hill, and Don Winslow’s The Cartel – blurbed as “the War and Peace of dope-war books.” We’ll see.

It’s on my reading list for my almost-over nano-sabbatical, but I haven’t yet read the entirety of the Pope’s new encyclical, Laudato Si’. Still, I did respond to a recent email round from Terrey Yosie, President & CEO of the Word Environment Centre, and promptly found myself pleasantly embroiled in a thought-provoking exchange between some leading thinkers and doers in the sustainability space. Joel Makower then edited the exchange and published it in GreenBiz. Worth as look, I think.

Headed into London late this morning, in the teeth of the Tube strike, for a meeting at Paddington Station with Stefan Koch of Covestro, the former Bayer MaterialScience. Sam was the convenor, inviting people from the Future-Fit Benchmark and Futerra to discuss ways forward for the new company.

Challenging journeys in and out, but the walks either way through Hyde Park were wondrous. Am not sure I had ever seen The Arch or Physical Energy statues before, despite the fact that I used to cycle routinely through the Park. The heron atop The Arch was a welcome visitation from one of totemic birds.

As a relief from the semi-endless cleaning up of the house, we head across to Kew Gardens for a wander, taking in everything from my favourite mulberry trees (fruit quite some way from ripening) to the piranha in the basement of the Princess of Wales greenhouse.

Schoolchildren everywhere, elbowing their way in to see the deadly fish, though a teacher was explaining that the piranha’s reputation was ill-founded.

Noted that the time capsule in the greenhouse floor (originally Elaine’s suggestion, taken forward by Joss and David Pearson of Gaia Books) has reached its 30th anniversary year. Warmly remember David Attenborough lowering the capsule into the hole, with Gaia and Hania on his knees, both wearing wildly oversize hard hats. And him tapping them on their helmets, asking whether there was anyone in?

After Caroline’s birthday party, see previous entry, Elaine and I drove across to Lower Slaughter, to stay with Jane and Glyn Davenport.

Have known Jane (nee Keay) since I was 14, when we met at a dance held by mutual friends, the Hanks. She did a magnificent Charleston; by contrast, I was confined to something like a wheelchair, after an emergency appendectomy – having collapsed part-way through the headmaster’s end-of-year speech at Bryanston and having been hurriedly ambulanced across Salisbury Plain to hospital.

Jane and Glyn had been at the party earlier today – and had invited us to stay, partly because Hill House was going to be bursting at the gills.

On arrival at Vine House, which is cheek-by-jowl with the weather mill, Jane, Elaine and I walked across to Upper Slaughter (identified after WWI as one of the Thankful Villages) in the evening sun, via Lords of the Manor, where Gray and Christina had their wedding reception many, many moons ago.

Then back to a magical supper and deep sleep in an attic room overlooking the River Eye, through scaffolding. Following an equally delightful breakfast, we headed back to Little Rissington for lunch with the remnant hordes. As Pat said when we recounted our adventures, there really is nothing quite like old friends.