My father's fight with coronavirus

My father Robin Hanbury-Tenison had a podcast interview with The Spectator on Monday. He has a new book out – on pandemics, rather well timed – about which Sam Leith of this parish was keen to interview him. But in the end he had to postpone it. On Monday, he couldn’t get a sentence out without uncontrollably coughing. He had just come back from skiing in France, and the government advice still said that the Alps were safe.

He and my mother had considered cancelling, but their insurance wouldn’t have given them a refund. So they were careful to always wash their hands thoroughly and didn’t go to any large gatherings. Besides, though he is 83 years old, he’s the fittest man I know. We ran the London Marathon together for his 80th birthday, we ride horses across Bodmin Moor whenever the weather allows and he still beats me at tennis. He doesn’t take any medication and has no existing health conditions.