The Evening Standard rang in the festive season yesterday with a columnists’ Christmas lunch at LPM in Mayfair. Our roster of top writers mixed with Mayor Sadiq Khan and other special guests including Jade Jagger, Jack Guinness, aristocrat Emma Weymouth, the Marchioness of Bath, and actor Lucien Laviscount, hot favourite as the next James Bond. After a lavish lunch from the LPM chefs, our guests enjoyed a belting soul set from singer Mica Paris. At the top table, editor-in-chief Dylan Jones, contributing editor Rachel Johnson and Khan got on their feet to dance as Paris performed her 1988 hit My One Temptation.
The Mayor worked the room, congratulating restaurateur Jeremy King on the “great news” that he is opening three new London venues. “I expect a good write-up in Londoner’s Diary,” Khan wisecracked to yours truly. His Tory rival Susan Hall was invited to join us but forgot to RSVP. Perhaps she suffered another case of “pickpocketing”? Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet enjoyed the serenade from Paris. “I never thought I would be up dancing in this restaurant — she was amazing! It was therapy. It was a festival atmosphere, but without the gummies,” he said. Kemp and his brother Martin are returning to TV screens soon with a new comedy mockumentary about their lives called The Kemps: All True. It’s a follow-up to their first BBC TV special All Gold.
Other guests at our lunch included the interior designer Nicky Haslam, dry-witted as ever, Boris Johnson’s former comms chief Guto Harri, who now writes for the Standard about politics and current affairs, our inimitable Wednesday columnist Fat Tony and the model Cora Corré, Vivienne Westwood’s granddaughter. ES Magazine editor Ben Cobb was also there. With special thanks to Niamh O’Keeffe, Alan Edwards, Michael Hennegan and the team at Purple PR for orchestrating the festivities.
