Andrew Marr: Scottish Unionists must rethink – and fast

Spring Cannot Be Cancelled arrives on the doorstep. It is a gloriously illustrated book by Martin Gayford about his conversations with David Hockney, now living in Normandy, and who I have recently interviewed. It’s a book about many things — Hockney’s love of France and French painting, his reflections on many other artists among them. But at its heart is this octogenarian’s adoration of nature, his belief that art is rooted in love, and a restless gusto for life. That’s a lesson I’ve been thinking about as I hirple (good Scots word) round Regent’s Park, observing spring surge all round me. Every day, the faint green haze on the trees grows richer, buds explode into white or pink, new flowers jump from the earth. Most recently, it’s hyacinths under the cherry blossom. Perhaps it’s my age, but I have never before noticed the almost reckless speed of this time of year.

Friends pity me for being stuck in town.