One of my dearest friends leaves for a six month secondment to Abu Dhabi on Thursday and already I can feel a hole in London and in my life.

West London even now does n't feel the same and you're still here.

I wandered through Kensington and into Holland Park and nearly every inch of my walk saw a memory corkscrew out of the pavement: both of us open mouthed the first time we stepped into Wholefoods; standing by the bus stop, drenched after a sudden summer afternoon downpour; idling in Holland Park, talking amiable, cheerful nonsense; meals here, coffee there.

It's not even Thursday yet, and I'm missing your great sense of humour, your generosity; your zest for life, that infectious sense of adventure; your clear, wise words; your sense of justice and natural compassion. And these are a just a handful. Bluntly I'll miss you.