Patrick has been rubbing shoulders with communists, publishers, New York Times writers and alumni of Cheltenham Ladies’ College — and sometimes several of them at once.
Some weeks ago at a party, I was chatting to a communist about her days at Cheltenham Ladies’ College. She has a reputation for being suspicious of people politically, but I’ve always thought it a bit unfair. At her wedding, she tactfully placed me on a table with an uncle who likes fishing and…