Alison is unforgettable. From across a room she shone out with an outfit that was gorgeously suitable and, clearly, meticulously chosen. She was flattered when I asked if I could take her picture; little would she have known that I was trying to capture the sense of awe that she evoked in me. In the hour we talked, we covered her kids, her hats, her shoes and her regard for Queen Elizabeth II. After I visited her again, I realised that people are drawn to her. One of my favourite quotes from Alison is, ‘My shoes are as old as the mountains’.