Emma Thynn's diary: inside the hottest summer parties and the real reason Serena Williams is playing at Wimbledon

Is there anything to match the Victoria and Albert Museum for elegance and aspiration? I wondered this as I arrived in South Kensington for the museum's tenth summer party, which has become a bright spot in the social season.

The first people I saw when I got there were Lady Amelia Windsor, the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, and the singer Jessie Ware, who performed a set that night.

She told me what a wonderful place it is to perform in. The V&A is pristine. It's such a beautiful space, especially at night.

I had a great laugh with Sir Mick Jagger and his partner, Melanie Hamrick. It was the night of England's first World Cup match, against Croatia, and we talked about how our kids were going to love it.

Mick and Melanie's son, Deveraux, is about the same age as my nine-year-old son Henry. We've played football on holiday in Mustique and on play dates in Chelsea. 

I also caught up with the rapper Eve and the actress Zawe Ashton, who recently had her second child with Tom Hiddleston. Everyone was talking about the kids.

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Sir Grayson and Lady Perry were there. It was lovely to see them. I did [the BBC Radio 4 show] Woman's Hour with Philippa. 

I had a great chat with David Harewood about the Kensington Roof Gardens. A lot of people were going there to watch the match but I had to say: "I've got sausages. I have to go home."

I had a curfew to get back, put on my dressing gown and have sausages with the boys while we watched the game. Their normal bedtime is 9pm but we stayed up till the end. 

Hermes

Wow. The Hermès party at the Hurlingham Club in south-west London was absolutely surreal. Its lawns became like a Midsomer Murders village fair. 

There were Morris dancers, beehives, cricket and croquet.

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They had recreated a traditional British pub, but with Richard Ayoade as the landlord to compere the pub quiz. I'm rubbish at quizzes so I became immersed in the strangeness of the evening. I was probably watching something extraordinary up a tree. 

There were hedges that got up and danced. I don't know how long the dancers inside them had to wait before they were allowed to move. No hedge was left unturned. It was like Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Jools Holland was there, and Fatboy Slim was doing his thing as the DJ.

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I came by car but a lot of people arrived by boat, coming up the River Thames.

I might try something like that at Longleat because it was extremely impressive.

I talked to Omari Douglas, who was in [the TV show] It's a Sin, and had a lovely chat with the model Erin O'Connor, who was trying to juggle her diary. She was double-booked and needing to cancel a lunch rather than miss her sons' sports day. She has two boys, like me. I'm always juggling, too. I'm constantly being hit in the face with a football while worrying I have forgotten something or am needed somewhere.

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Erin is looking great – working hard, being fabulous and making it look easy.

Royal Academy

I arrived at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition fresh from my holiday with my husband, Ceawlin, to Positano in Italy to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary.

As I went in, I saw Gavin Turk's flat tyre sculpture, which is bronze but looks like a real tyre. I love his work and it was a reminder that I have a little collection of his art that Ceawlin got us for our wedding anniversary last year. I still need to frame it!

At the Royal Academy, you do circles. You meet most people on the first lap but catch up on the second.

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Lily Allen was there with Marco Capaldo, the creative director of 16Arlington, whose dress she was wearing.

I caught up with Claudia Winkleman. If you've been on Strictly, it's so bonding. I told her that her hair looked great and we had a big hug.

I told Nick Grimshaw how much I love his podcast Dish and his questions about his guests' favourite potatoes. He said that it was an unexpected hit part of his show. If I had to choose, it would be crisps. Champagne and crisps will get you through anything.

Summer is only going to get better. 

I'm looking forward to my friend Serena Williams coming to Wimbledon. She's gone to Berlin but she'll be back in London soon. She's incredibly strong, so why not? We had afternoon tea with her recently while the children made potions, raiding our cupboards to make them. Serena has two daughters, Olympia, eight, and Adira, two. It was Olympia who said she should play. I can't wait.