Little Moscow

To Kensington last night, to celebrate Russia Day at the glorious mansion of the noble, kind and august ambassador. There was patriotic music, oratory of great distinction and the crowd rejoiced; or so the propagandists will have it.

Tongues loosened as the Russian Standard flowed. John Whittingdale, Commissar of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, was ripe for gossip: ‘If half of what I hear is true it will be quite a show trial,’ he told me. ‘There is all sorts to come out yet.’ Whatever was he talking about?

Guests were reluctant to discuss the forthcoming G8 summit in Northern Ireland. I hear that the Russian delegation’s travel plans are in disarray. Cries of ‘Putin cannot stay here!’ went up as a forward planning party scouted for hotels in the North, and it sounds as if the Russians will be staying south of the border.

As a man with the most wonderful moustache battled to light the barbeque, the queues for food quickly built up.