Today the weather is fair; it is very pleasant for this time of year.

Yesterday, Anna went for a tennis lesson at the Hurlingham Club that I booked for myself, but I couldn’t make it so she went in my place.

When she was a child, I booked all sorts of fixtures for her: dentist, doctor, haircuts, tennis lessons, singing lessons, eye tests; the list went on. My wish was her command. How times change when your children come of age. Once you called all the shots! That is a thing of the past after the age of eighteen.

There is a great new coach at the Hurlingham Club, T, who was once Roger Federer’s hitting partner for grand slam matches; he warmed him up before he went on court. The tennis coaches at the club are first rate, and that includes T.

Anna tipped up to the lesson at 9 am. He was expecting me. Imagine the hidden pleasure in a gorgeous twenty two year old turning up instead of the Past Useby Date mother.

Anyway, he worked on her forehand and serve for an hour. They got chatting at the end of the lesson. We are huge Federer fans in our household, so Anna couldn’t help but ask what it was like to work with The Alltime Legend, Mr Federer.

T told Anna that he went this year as a punter to Wimbledon, and when he was walking around as part of the crowd of spectators, Federer spotted him and yelled, “Hey, T.” Apparently, the security force swarmed around him as he turned to greet the Alltime Legend, who by the way told the security to back off, it was “okay”, as he knew T.

He asked T how he’d been and gave him a pass to the Members’ area, issuing an invitation to lunch as he wanted to catch up with T’s news. HOW NICE IS THAT. Mr Federer is a gentleman on and off court.

For a moment, T glowed in the aura of Federer’s VIP world. That must have been how it felt to be part of the Royal Court in bygone times. The world, the plebs, were out there at large, but the Monarch had his/her favourite courtiers around, titled of course, part of the aristocracy. It was a club based on birth and wealth, not just wealth. Money was not enough to cut it.

Geoff father met the Queen fleetingly, as part of the Anglo-African Axis. For a moment, he stood in her sunshine. Even staunch Aussie republicans have wilted in the heat around her, despite their political beliefs. Think of all those Aussie Labour PMs who have chucked caution to the wind and tried to hug her – Paul Keating infamously breeched protocol when he put his arm around the Queen’s back. Tony Abbot also touched Prince William a couple of years back, causing the press to query whether Aussies couldn’t keep their hands off royalty. The thing is, you can look, but you can’t touch.

Today, I am visiting a Christmas sale in aid of supporting a centre for autistic adults.

It is at a friend’s house in Haselmere. There will be cake and coffee!