Lady Thatcher’s luvvie dinners at Garrick

The debate last week about whether Lady Thatcher should receive a state funeral or not appears a little premature, given that the former Tory leader is apparently in fine fettle and enjoying a highly active social life. The Daily Mail reveals that Lady T, just three months shy of her 83rd birthday, has been dining with a colourful group of companions, among them the actors Sir Donald Sinden and Robert Hardy, at the Garrick Club.

The dinners, one of which took place earlier this summer, are arranged by the artist Michael Noakes, who met the Iron Lady when he was commissioned to paint her portrait some while back. Says Noakes: "I originally organised some get-togethers at my home with people I knew Margaret would enjoy meeting. She had met nearly all of them before and enjoyed their company. Her late husband Denis knew and liked them all and that is a link."

Despite persistent reports that Lady Thatcher is constantly below par – her doctors advised her to make no more public speeches after suffering a series of small strokes – Noakes insists she’s very "very chatty". He should know – he is currently painting her portrait for the third time. "During our sitting she does talk about her time in government, but she likes to meet ordinary folk and takes pleasure in the company of actors and others outside politics. When I took along Nicholas Parsons, Margaret got terribly excited after she discovered that his father was the family GP in Grantham and had treated all her family."