Jennifer's genius
Sir: Your profile of Mrs Betty Kenward (6 July) did less than justice to the subtleties of her remarkable prose style. Much of Jennifer's genius lies in the fantasy of breathless purpose and urgency that she creates in her diary narrative: '6.30 call . . dash to hairdresser . . . just time to rush in to see dear Mr Pimples at Fortnums before the Jones's drinks at Hurlingham, then an exhausting afternoon at the office writing thank you letters, and a mad rush to fit in the Smith-Fairfax cocktails at the Guards Club before going on to the Bassington- Bassington dance . .
In this age of the dreary old middle-class work ethic, some nasty old spoilsports might suggest that a schedule of this sort adds up to a day spent accomplishing absolutely nothing. What Jennifer's style offers her readers is a monthly fix of sublime reassurance that they are living busy, useful lives in which health and energy are relentlessly sacrificed on the altar of social duty. An MBE for social services might be thought vulgar. But surely some sort of Queen Award to Industry is in order here.
Max Hastings
Anchorage, Alaska
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