Among those visiting Gordon Brown at his holiday home near Southwold, Suffolk, this week will be his brother, Andrew.

It is to his immediate family that Mr Brown turns in times of greatest stress and few would deny that the Prime Minister has endured a torrid year so far. In public he is disciplined about not betraying obvious outward signs of tension.

Even in the absence of cameras, whether briefing reporters or hosting a Downing Street reception, Mr Brown remembers to smile and joke.

The signs are there, however. His fingernails remain chewed - a habit he cannot kick. Close observers are struck by a pallor that suggests too many summer days spent indoors.

A respected former political journalist, now working abroad, was amazed at Mr Brown’s appearance, particularly his weight and complexion. Seeing him for the first time as Prime Minister, he said: “He looks terrible.”

Yet there are those close to him who insist that he enjoys the job: that after so long a wait Mr Brown is genuinely thrilled to have the power to do things his way. On the international stage he remains an influential figure who commands respect.

His wife, Sarah, and children, John, 4, and Fraser, 2, help him to relax but can, too, be a source of worry, particularly Fraser, who has cystic fibrosis.

Outbreaks of rage are not uncommon, according to insiders. One recent attack occurred on discovering that a photographer had managed to capture him wearing a flak jacket in Iraq while appearing to cradle a heavy machinegun. “You just can’t believe how stressed out he gets about even quite little things,” said an official.

For the next two weeks Mr Brown should be able to divest himself of protective armour both actual and metaphorical. The greatest luxury of all will be to be surrounded by people he knows he can wholly trust and who want nothing from him. He says he plans to play on the beach with his sons. But then adds, worryingly, that he also wants to read. Mr Brown would be well advised to get his nose out of the paperwork and to inhale the sea breeze.

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