Sir Simon Rattle – adored adopted son – and his City of

Sir Simon Rattle – adored, adopted son – and his City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (“Luv-lay”). They use occasional words of local dialect, like “blartin” (crying), “mardy” (moody) and “tarraarabit” (goodbye), and discuss the eternal debate of Birmingham City versus Aston Villa, disparaged as “Ice Vanilla” (anyone can lick ‘em) Also, the perennially parlous state of the Bull Ring. Acceptable guests include dogs on strings, illegal rave organisers, the Mutoid Waste Company and the Freedom Network, which campaigns on behalf of those affected by the Criminal Justice Bill.Conversation is dogged. They are preoccupied by the job seekers’ allowance, animal experimentation, harassment from local vigilantes and the police (“Babylon”), education for travelling children, cures for head lice, and local supporters who possess baths. They discuss how to treat the clergy who have joined the campaign, and should Greenpeace have admitted the Brent Spar miscalculation?Typical lines: “Who’s dealing with the compost toilets?”"The Asylum Seekers squat in Stoke Newington needs volunteers.”"How about some Raki channelling?”Katie SampsonThe BrummiesA Friday night ritual: an Indian balti house in Birmingham Two couples, late thirties, dressed smartly but casually.

Dinner, cooked over a bonfire, is vegetarian or vegan: grains, pulses, pancakes and “gack”, or sweet, chocolaty junk food They drink cider or home-brew, and smoke “rollies”. so Delia.(Much laughter)Donald You doing any telly to push your book, Hilary?Hilary Well, Channel 4 want me to do something.Chantal Oh, who with?Hilary (hesitates) Keith.Donald Floyd?Hilary (small voice) Chegwin.(Silence)All Rav, this ologrumbo is sensational…Christopher MiddletonNew Age TravellersThey are currently parading their body piercings, Celtic tattoos, armbands and second-hand Doc Martens in the protesters’ camp at Newbury. Did you see Josceline’s piece on…?Hilary Marco?Raviella Tony Worrall T? He was saying how absolutely the last great undiscovered cuisine is North African.Hilary Oh, he’s so right.Donald But Liberia’s in central Africa.Chantal Oh, Donald, don’t be so… is served.Chantal Mmm, fenugreek.Hilary Ras el hanout.Donald Shepherd’s pie.Raviella It’s a Liberian recipe Ologrumbo. This is precisely why I wrote the book.(Enter Raviella, bright red in the face, carrying a large Le Creuset dish.)Raviella Dinner… I know stacks of people who’ve had a foul time in Egypt.Hilary (coldly) It’s pronounced “fool”.Chantal The Egyptian national dish, darling Brown beans, olive oil, cumin…Hilary (sharply) No cumin. For the past 40 minutes she has been putting the finishing touches to her main course, leaving Hilary with fellow cookery writer Chantal and her banker husband Donald.Hilary And, of course, I had the most dreadful fights with the publishers over the title.Chantal How ridiculous.Donald Absolutely.

Drink: Thai beer.Typical lines: “I’ve just bought a customised jeep for the Paris to Dakar race.”"Tom Dixon’s asked me to style his next party at the Cobden Working Men’s Club.”"I’ve got good contacts in the Rajasthan antiques trade.”Katie SampsonThe FoodiesA mews house in Notting Hill Gate, bought by food writer Raviella because the location allows her to pop out to Books for Cooks to consult a recipe and get back just as the maccheroncini are becoming al dente.Tonight, R is hosting a small dinner party to celebrate the publication of her friend Hilary’s new book about Egyptian pulse cookery, A Foul Foray. They holiday in Indonesia and Vietnam, use the Lambton Health Club, and on Fridays and Saturdays the men check out the public schoolgirls, back for the weekend, at 3 Green Street in Mayfair.Ambiance: Mixture of New York kitsch (such as plastic Day-Glo salad bowls) and ethnic Conran Shop Food: Thai or West Indian. They wear Nicole Farhi and Patrick Cox, leather trousers (both sexes), Stussi hats and Puma trainers. Their friends are exotic, and include Cuban dissidents, record producers, Manhattan trendies, local drug dealers, and socially well-connected novelists, such as Amis and Self, immersed in the “Notting Hill Experience”.They talk of friends opening restaurants and clubs, battles with parents over settling down, whether it’s cool to do heroin, and who has sold out to go and work in the City. The party was a success.Alex BootThe TrustafariansRich, young Bohemians with trust funds (but you’d never know it) gravitate to top-floor flats in Ladbroke Grove and Holland Park – West Eleven.

Roughly, it means, ‘You’re a fascinating young lady, and I shan’t have a moment’s rest until I see you again.”"You’re not pulling a fast one on me? Again?”"As God is my witness.”"So how does that go again? ‘Yoov gawt everysink…’”"C’est servi,” announced the hostess, for some reason in French. How do you say in English, ‘I am totally and truly enchanted with you’?”"You say, ‘You’ve got everything, shagbag – let’s do it behind the bike shed.’”"What does that mean? Literally?”"Untranslatable. You like Sophia Loren.’ And she smiled.”"That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Here in London, girls smile just for the hell of it.”"Not like that.” Boris didn’t know London, but he did know girls “I’ll talk to her.