Nothing can really ‘rout the drowse’ (V. Woolf) today. Have to go up to Hampstead to buy some lunch. Whilst walking back to my car I’m greeted by the amiable grey­bearded figure who runs the Rainbow Alliance – George Weiss. He complains of how difficult it was to get publicity for his recent can­didacy in the Euro­elections. In the end he got himself arrested. ‘I walked into Hampstead police station with this huge spliff, took a puff and offered it to the sergeant in charge – well, they had to arrest me.’ His party are committed to free public transport.

Mr O’Rourke came round this afternoon to tell me that he’d heard my play wasn’t doing very well and that I should write a musical comedy. He even offered to find me a backer. A man he’d done some marble ­laying for – ‘a brilliant dancer, an excellent businessman, Wayne Streep’.