Today is the second last day of summer, according to the weather forecast. It will be sweltering and sweaty again. Yesterday was the hottest September day on record for over one hundred years. It topped 30 degrees.

After gradually transforming into a beetroot during the course of tennis yesterday at Hurlingham, I headed to the outdoor pool to cool off with some of my Book Club friends. We had a BBQ and relished the last drops of summer 2016. We idled away the day, knowing that in a few weeks we will be wearing jumpers and trousers. The pool was packed with other punters, squeezed together like sardines. Everyone was in high spirits.

In the summer of 2005, when Anna was on Family Affairs, the soap, she had to be chaperoned while filming. Geoff took the first tranche of chaperoning, instead of going with Hugo and me to Paphos, in Cyprus. He had a staycation with Anna in London, while we headed off to the sun. Anna wasn’t required every second of the day, so they spent time at the Hurlingham when she was not at the studio.

Meanwhile, I arrived at the Annabelle Hotel, perched on the end of Paphos town. After checking in, Hugo and I headed to the supermarket to stock up on snacks and drinks. I went to pay with my debit card. It was declined. Which was very odd, as there was a wadge of money in my account specifically for the holiday. I was perplexed. I rang the bank. My account had been drained. I was the victim of a fraud. The bank had to cancel my card, my only card. Hence no way of paying for things.

I went to the front desk of the hotel and explained that I had a problem with my card, that someone had stolen all my money. They were very unhappy that I did not have a valid credit card to cover expenses. They looked at me suspiciously. Why had I turned up without my husband? I put two and two together. They thought that I had split up with Geoff. And had no money or means of paying. They insisted that Geoff wire some money. I was treated like a second class citizen.

Just like the weather yesterday, it was baking hot in Paphos in August. All you could do was swim and relax. And that is what Hugo and I did, every day for ten days. It was awkward with the staff. Was I just imagining it, or were the staff really looking at me with pity? I felt self conscious. It gave me a taste of what it feels like to be a single parent.

There was a beach nearby, where we headed when we were bored of the hotel. When the wind was up, there was good surf. I was incredulous that a lot of the children didn’t know how to dive under the waves to avoid being ‘dumped’. I ended up teaching them to dive to the bottom of the sea bed when the turbulence was heading their way. Even with a language barrier, I managed to instruct some Russian children, using a graphic demonstration, how to avoid being pulverised. They were grateful for the tuition.

For Hugo, the highlight was the buffet dinner at the end of the day. It was a different nationality every night. And there was a bar in the pool, where he could swim up, sit on a stool, waist high in water, and order ice creams.

I felt sad though, as it was meant to be our first family beach holiday in the Mediterranean. And I was on my tod, with a hyperactive eight year old, who needed a lot of entertaining. Some of the other fathers and sons included him in pool games, but as a lone parent, there were no overtures to chat to me. Not without a partner. I spent my time reading, and I managed to read War and Peace cover to cover.

Today, I am off the Richard Ward, my hairdressers for over fifteen years. I was their client possibly before Kate Middleton. Tonight, we are having dinner with Hurlingham friends, who live on the stunning street that leads to the entrance of the club, Napier Avenue. Sure to be some cracker pheasants and stags at dinner.