Londoner's Diary

Naomi Campbell and Sir Mick Jagger paint the town pink (and red, white and blue) for the British Museum Ball

- CLAUDIA COCKERELL

It was billed as "London's Met Gala", so how did the inaugural British Museum Ball compare with the first Monday in May? Sartorially, at least, it was much more genteel. The theme of the fundraiser was pink, and guests were instructed on their invitations to wear shades of rose, cerise, magenta and carmine - the museum's director Nicholas Cullinan was dead set against any Barbie hues. Most cleaved to the colour palette, but there were some rose-fuseniks: Naomi Campbell wore a lacy Union Flag gown, while Dame Kristin Scott Thomas went for gold. There was a pink carpet for arrivals and copious rosé champagne, while fuchsia lights were projected on to the Parthenon marbles.