My late wife Marina and I joined the Anglo Spanish Society over forty years ago, when Sir Peter Allen was Chairman. He had been Chief Executive of ICI and was married to the elegant and charming Consuelo Allen, whose family owned the glamorous Embassy Café in Madrid. I became a member of the Council. In those days our Society's main event was a ball held mostly at the Grosvenor House Grand Ball Room in Park Lane. It was a major event in the social calendar attracting between six hundred and a thousand punters. Often Royalty were present. I can remember Prince Edward attending with Princess Elena of Spain and on another occasion Princess Alexandra and her husband, Sir Angus Ogilvy. When the ball took place at Syon House, Prince Charles and Lady Diana graced the occasion.

During the reign of Sir John Russell as Chairman a trip to Madrid was organised by the redoubtable Sheila Stewart, who was a loyal member of the Council of the Society for many years. It was a highly successful venture and included an audience with King Juan Carlos at the Oriente Palace. We were requested to form a square in the audience salon before the King processed around the room shaking hands with all of us one by one before delivering his welcoming address.

Over the years I recall various social events organised by Lady Parker and Lady Lindsay respectively. There was a private viewing at the Royal Academy with suitable live background music and alcoholic encouragement. Then there was another spectacular private viewing at the National Gallery of Spanish sculpture in wood, which Jimmy Burns Marañón arranged after a suitable breakfast at the Garrick Club. I was fortunate to see the exhibition again at the Museo National de Escultura in Valladolid.

While José Puig de Bellacasa was in post as Spanish Ambassador to the Court of St James, a friend of mine, Alan Davis, because a High Sheriff of the City of London, when there were rumors of a proposed state visit to the UK by the King and Queen of Spain.