the perfect house-guest

There is a scene in AG Macdonell’s classic post-First World War comedy novel England, Their England when the protagonist, a Fleet Street journalist, is invited to a grand Kent house-party weekend. To impress his hosts, he primes a colleague to ring during dinner, pretending to be the Prime Minister and…

labrador on sofa

Many years ago an old friend suggested that my wife and I might like to stay with him in his house in Devon during a brief visit to the West Country. Looking back, I still feel guilty that, after accepting his kind offer, I failed to mention that we would…

Shooting invitations

Whether host or guest, the etiquette surrounding shooting invitations can be difficult to negotiate. Follow Robert Gibbons’ advice and avoid any slip ups this season. Should we take a more relaxed attitude to shooting etiquette this season, or have standards started to slip? Robert Gibbons tackles the tricky subject of…

Shooting etiquette. Too many guns

Shooting etiquette has slipped for Robert Gibbons. Butlers serving champagne, pins badly placed, dogs despatched during drives and too many guns have all rankled him in the past. But are these simply the new shooting etiquette standards, and something that he must get used to? For etiquette on a horse…