Karl, where do you keep your recliners?

I was speaking to Karl recently when he mentioned that he would send me [Helmut] Newtons remains. I was of the understanding that he would be sending me a book he had on the topic of Newton (as that was what the discussion was on), but when a package arrived in the post last night, it turned out to be his actual remains.

I am not entirely sure what to think of that, but it will make a darling centrepiece on my mantle - a turbulent conversation starter - like a small plane in high winds.

That got me thinking - why do we bother with such beautiful coffins? Ever since Iggy Pop and Keith Richards, dying has been so out of vogue. No body does it anymore. I know what you are thinking, some people don't know who they are and coffins are supposed to be your eternal resting place. But after the likes of Palin and Beck are having an unprecedented growth in atheists-- these things compound you see, eternal resting places have far less importance. I imagine that if heaven were all white, then it would smell like crisp sheets. However, if there was a heaven, I doubt that it would be white. It would be champagne coloured.

On this particular immortalisation bent, why don't we bring back death masks in the fashion of Ancient Rome? How glorious. Perhaps there should be a resurgence in urns - I wonder if Lalique is available for a chat and a champagne. I do so adore his brooches.

Of course people would still continue to use coffins, as not everyone is privy to the style of the times. We would need to start some sort of trend against them.

We could throw a party!

At a tennis club -- or a funeral parlour.

A funeral parlour could be fun, we could all dress up like we were going to a wake then climb into the coffins when we needed a little Champagne Nap. One might suggest that this wouldn't help our cause, but I'm not for putting people out of business and I think that if Funeral Parlours got into the Bed Business, then they would be happy and far more profitable.

I never use my bed, personally, I find the whole exercise tiresome. Changing out of your clothes and into clothes that not even you see - because you sleep in them. The poor clothes! Bed clothes must be the most lonely of clothes as they don't even get to go out and meet others. Whenever I get tired and have to take a Chapagne Nap, I lie on one of my sofas, put my eye mask on and nod off for a while.

But Diana! You might say - when do you change? When do you shower? To which I might say - don't be silly. I always change before an event and shower after. All those socialites, they leave powder on my cheeks from their air kisses. I wouldn’t need to put make up on myself if I weren’t such a stickler for hygiene.

Anyway, if I get tired at an event – I suppose I just pop off, have my little naps on a recliner sofa, then back to the event. My beds are only really there for bedspreads, which you may know I have a particular fondness of.

O! and to give some people something to do -- so they don't go rob some other people, which I understand happens when people get bored.

Isn't it grand what you learn over breakfast!