Off to the four poster to plan social schedule

daughter, at Strathclyde University, this is the time of year when I

seize the opportunity to read books and plan my social schedules for the

coming months.

One usually sneaks a bottle of Krug from the cellar and retires to

one's four-poster bed with all the latest magazines and one's diary.

Bliss! Can you suggest a more civilised method of weathering out the

recession?

I have been much enjoying an advance copy of Jennifer's Memoirs, the

life story of the amazing Betty Kenward, who wrote all those gripping

social columns in Harpers & Queen magazine for all of 50 years. I must

admit that I found her punchy sub-heading -- ''Eighty Years of Fun and

Functions'' -- uncharacteristically suggestive, but then anybody who has

ever come across Mrs Kenward will know that she is far too grand for

anything even remotely outre!

The book, nevertheless, is quite exhausting to read: so many parties

and so many people one knows. What a life! How could I even begin to

compete?

I last saw Mrs Kenward three years ago at Inveraray Castle on Loch

Fyne, when she was staying with Sir Ivar and Lady Colquhoun at Luss for

the Marquess of Lorne's coming-of-age party -- and what an unforgettable

occasion that was. Before that, I seem to recall that she was often with

the Hon. Malcolm and Lady Mariotta Napier at Bardmony in Perthshire, but

perhaps I am muddling her up with Dame Barbara Cartland, my favourite

romantic novelist, who always seems to be there in August when I look in

on them.

Camperdown is returning tomorrow night and, on Monday evening, we are

to attend The Keepers of the Quaich's formal banquet being held at Blair

Castle, home of the Duke of Atholl. I have had wonderful reports of

these splendid dinners, with the Duke's private army in full attendance,

and this is the first time I have been free to go to one. Since guests

are invited by the leading Scottish distillery companies, Camperdown,

being one of their best customers, is a regular, and, last year, for

excessive services to the industry, it was suggested he become an

Honorary Keeper.

I was tremendously pleased for him, particularly so when I heard that

Ronald Reagan, that film actor who became President of America, was

guest-of-honour. I was livid not to be able to go myself since I am

absolutely desperate to see Nancy Reagan, all the more so since reading

that book about her. Apparently they are very unlikely to be coming

again this year, which is such a shame. Maybe next year?

Anyway, I have been consoling myself with the prospect of seeing the

new Grand Master, Sir Iain Tennant, and Lady Margaret Tennant, his wife.

Margaret is a sister of the Earl of Airlie, the Lord Chamberlain to Her

Majesty the Queen since 1984 and they grew up at their family home,

Cortachy Castle, on the edge of Glen Clova, in Angus.

She is also, therefore, a sister of the Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy, which

reminds me that I was recently hearing that James and Julia Ogilvy, the

good-looking son and daughter-in-law of Angus and Princess Alexandra,

have come to Scotland to live in Fife. Rumour has it that Julia has gone

into the jewellery business, and that James is involved with financial

circles in Edinburgh. I must pay them a visit.

Iain is, of course, Lord Lieutenant of Morayshire and Camperdown and I

often see him and Margaret when The Royal Company of Archers, The

Queen's Bodyguard in Scotland, hold their periodic parties at Archer's

Hall in Edinburgh. And we did make a point of sneaking into St Giles' to

have a peek at Iain and the Queen when she made him a Knight of the

Thistle in 1986. Such a hoot!

They were tremendously kind to us when Fiona, our daughter, was at

Gordonstoun school, and we regularly called on them at their home near

Elgin. He was no longer Chairman of the Board of Governors at that time,

but nonetheless a great influence on our decision to send Fiona there

instead of to St Leonard's, my first choice, another excellent

educational establishment, in those days run by Martha Hamilton, now

married to Robert Steedman, the architect, and for whom I have only the

greatest admiration.

Coming to think of it, I don't think either Camperdown or I have been

back to Innes House, which Iain's grandfather bought because he loved to

fish on the river Spey, since Emma, their charming daughter's wedding to

young Angus Cheape, and that must have been all of 11 years ago.

I did, however, acquire a copy of Alby's Letters To Henry, the

enchanting children's book about stags on Mull which Iain began

compiling for Henry, his grandson, in 1985.

And I did notice that young Mark, Iain's son, was standing as

Conservative Candidate for Dunfermline West at the last General

Election. How they do grow up!