The Playground Theatre was founded a few years ago by the actor Peter Tate in a disused bus depot on Latimer Road, London W10.

As readers of my childhood memoir ‘This Boy’ may recall, I grew up in that vicinity – which is now often wrongly referred to as Notting Hill. Those of us born there called it North Kensington or Kensal Town or just The Town.

I used to pass the bus depot on my way to The Pavillion, a pub opposite Wormwood Scrubs where my band The Area had a weekly gig back in the mid-60s.

Our lead singer was the exuberant Danny Curtis who, with his long blonde hair and shiny purple shirts looked like a cross between Mick Jagger and an aubergine. Danny was engaged to Carole Cox, the girl next door, or (to be more accurate), opposite in Lancaster Road. They split up just after the band did but recently, in their 70s, got back together and are a couple once again. Danny and Carole were at the show as my guests and their story of love rekindled brought the house down.