Views over London

On Wednesday evening Mary and I hosted a charity function at the flat for our old friend Penny Gummer for the Ormiston Children and Families Trust. About a 100 people joined us for drinks and canapes, and I was delighted to learn that their silent auction had raised around £30,000 even before the evening was over, so I'm hoping it will be nearer £50,000 by the time all the pledges have been collected. The charity works to promote the well being of children and young people, especially those disadvantaged by their life experiences or circumstances. Not that it would matter which charity it was, because if Penny is involved, you can guarantee the cause is worthwhile and she will have worked very hard to make a success of it. Her husband John, former Secretary of State for the Environment, looked out of the window at the London Eye, and said, "I'm responsible for that, Jeffrey. Everyone was against it, and now very few are suggesting it should come down. Compared with the Dome, it's a bit of a triumph," he added.