Well, in the end Jeremy Avis stepped in and was heroic in the concert, having had only a few hours to prepare. We were very grateful, and the audience loved it. Nice to have a full house. Banqueting House, Whitehall, with its amazing history, is a marvellous space to play in, even if the acoustic is not ideal.

And in the evening, Peter and Jamie and I enjoyed playing trios together in the corner of a room at the top of Ken's Egg, while the London Labour Group had its Christmas bash. But it's not all play. This annual party consists in part of people nobbling ministers and lobbying them. We heard Ruth Kelly give a speech about the Labour Party's many Great Achievements, and we heard the Mayor himself (with whom I shook hands!) give an impressive speech off the top of his head about his vision for London.