Virtual reality

'Don't believe what you read in the press' is something that is often said, but I suspect taken with a pinch of salt. And I guess I should be in a better place than most to judge...given my long and less than illustrous career as a PR, often quoted as saying, 'Never let the facts get in the way of a good story'.

The boy should be more cynical than most...his mother was much revered as a supreme example of the art of the PR. But like all young poeple, no matter how street wise he is innocent and therefore slightly gullible. That, however, seems to have changed in a revelatory flash akin to discovering that Father Christmas doesn't really exist (I still live in hope personally).

A couple of years ago, we had our bathroom completely revamped. Though small, it has turned out quite spectacular...a combination of my design awarenes and a builder who was good at guiding me...see www.tsarine.co.uk. At the time she said that my washroom would be photographed for Homes and Gardens magazine...but nothing much happened after the photographer came and went. Until a week ago, when ex-girlfriend rang to say she was looking at House Beautiful where there was a double page spread of my bathroom. Now apparently owned, designed and loved by Sue The Builder. Much chagrin on my part. On his return to the family nest, the boy was shown said article and his outrage was somewhat escalated from my own. I think if IPC (the publisher) had been close, a brick through the window would have been the order of the day. So there we have it. Nothing in the papers is true. The world is a tissue of lies. Hopefully the boy will recover to this devastating leap into the adult world of unreality.