An impromptu gathering of friends from out of town, hurriedly arranged at two hours notice ...

And everyone says, Well, you live there, you choose.

I feel weighted down by responsibility and my mind goes blank.

It has to be cheap. I have blown my cocktail budget at The Keeper's House.

It has to be convenient for public transport from east, west and south.

And we don't want anywhere hot, stuffy and crowded on a sunny evening.

For once in my life, I have a lightbulb moment. We will meet for drinks in a wildflower meadow with a river view. It is London's answer to the High Line, an oasis of green in a sea of concrete.

The gardening friend can admire the cabbages. The friend who doesn't drink very much can have a cup of tea. It shouldn't be crowded, I promise - fingers crossed - not even on a Saturday night.

As always, I'm late. And when I get there, I can't see anyone ... oh dear, perhaps they couldn't find the yellow staircase. And then I see the other ladies, admiring the cabbages just as I knew they would.

And the first thing they say is, oooh, we never knew this was here ...

And I am very pleased - and quite smug - that everyone is happy. (And thankful that it didn't rain.)

We have a lovely evening in the nearly-secret roof garden that everybody agrees was an Inspired Choice.