I never rented the place out when I was away, but I would instead allow friends and family to stay, particularly those who couldn’t afford to live in London, ostensibly to look after the place. No one ever took the last part of that seriously. Hardly a week goes by when I don’t run into someone who will say, ‘I went to a fantastic party at your flat in Kentish Town. Best bloody party ever!’ Needless to say, I was never myself the host of any of those wonderful parties, or even there to clear up the bloody mess.
