How Douglas stitched up Parky and Kirk

More than 500 mourners attended the funeral at Farm Street church in Mayfair on Thursday of Douglas Hayward (pictured), the celebrated tailor and raconteur who died aged 73 in April. Among the congregation were a cluster of Sirs - Michael Caine, David Frost, Roger Moore and Michael Parkinson - along with Lord Hambledon, the Duke of Abercorn and the actress Minnie Driver.

While it was a sad occasion, Sir Michael Parkinson sought to give something of the mischievous flavour of the man in his tribute. He told of the time he went to Hayward's Mount Street shop to fix himself up with some clothes before interviewing the Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas, also a client of the tailor. "Doug told me he had just the thing - saying 'I'll make you a black jacket and a pair of grey flannel trousers. And you should wear them with a white shirt and a striped tie'. He said I could have the tie for nothing – a freebie from Hayward. I should have known then something was wrong," he said, to much laughter.

Parkinson had been warned in advance that Douglas was a sensitive soul. An assistant had called him earlier in the day and asked how tall he was, and when he said six foot he was asked if he could introduce Douglas sitting down. So he was on tenterhooks as he made his way to the interview. "I was just approaching the National Film Theatre, where the interview was taking place, when a limo pulled up in front of me and out got Kirk Douglas... wearing … a black jacket, a pair of grey flannel trousers, a white shirt and a striped tie."

Thinking on his feet, Parkinson returned to his car and put on a scruffy old coat over his clothes, making it look as best he could like a jacket. It looked terrible. That (just) saved the day, but while he was interviewing Douglas all he could think of was getting revenge on Hayward. And he did. "After the interview, I complimented Douglas on his clothes and asked who his tailor was. Douglas said 'It's Dougie Hayward. Know him?' To which I replied 'Know him. He made this suit.'"