And another thing

A MasterCard survey shows that London is now the most important and efficient city in the world — financially that is — and another reveals it is also the most expensive, Moscow alone excepted. The two are connected no doubt. Certainly a lot of successful people live here: over 10,000 of them, I hear, earn more than £1 million a year. I have lived here 52 years and expect to die here, for I like my house despite its 52 stairs. People pour into London from all over the world, in greater numbers and variety than ever before. I now come across tourists from Sri Lanka and India, as well as Korea and China, to add to the countless Japanese. Half a million Poles work here, 350,000 Filipinos, almost as many French and countless Brazilians. How do they all fit in? Some of these newcomers are very useful. I know a good dry-cleaners, run by Bengalis, where you can get shoes mended, keys cut, watch batteries replaced, cheques cashed, jewellery repaired and half a dozen other useful services provided, all in a very small space.

When I was young and poor I took taxis all the time and often lunched at the Savoy and dined at the Ritz. Now I am old and rich, I never take taxis if I can possibly avoid it, and always try to eat at home where the food is so much better. I love having my orange-coloured free travel pass and spend many happy hours in the Underground and on red double-deckers. Sometimes I don’t hear a word of English spoken, but who cares? I offer large, overburdened African ladies my seat and get a flashing smile. The other day, on the Tube, a six-foot-tall beautiful blonde gave me her seat, and I took it for I was tired after tussling with heavy volumes at the London Library.