Miss Grenfell and Mr Heath
Sir: I have only just been shown the piece by Christopher Booker in the Spectator of 18 March in which he•wrote that at a literary lunch party in Suffolk at which Edward Heath and I were the guest speakers, 'Heath disconcerted his hosts by the highhanded way in which he insisted that, as the more important of the two guests, he should "top the bill" by following his fellow-author and speaker Joyce Grenfell.'
To put the record straight: when I met Mr Heath before the party began he courteously suggested that he should speak first as I was there to entertain the guests. And that was the running order of the day. I would like to add that in his well-received, concise, interesting and often witty speech — he was also entertaining — he did not 'bore the guests by reciting the titles, prices and sales figures to date' of his books.
Fair's fair. Perhaps Mr Booker should check his sources more carefully.
Joyce Grenfell Flat 8, 34 Elm Park Gardens, Chelsea, London SW10
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