Veronica Henry found herself slipping into a world of microwaved meals, living in leggings and hardly seeing friends. Then she realised that taking trouble over the little things can turn anyone’s world around

into at night. I learnt how to do hospital corners at boarding school and oh how we grumbled, but now I love a properly tucked-in sheet.

I do this religiously now even if it’s just me eating; setting a place properly with a placemat, cutlery, napkin, water and wine glass. It makes eating an occasion and a pleasure.

And now I’m slightly obsessed with table linen, from vintage lace tablecloths to stone-washed linen napkins I brought back from the South of France. I have a trove of beautiful things I inherited from my grandmother, and for years they have been kept in cabinets and drawers awaiting some sort of momentous occasion, which of course never came.

She used a lot of it every day, so I decided I would too, from pretty little cake forks to her collection of Waterford glass. They are all the better for being used. The other day I had friends for lunch so I dug out my grandmother’s tiny little liqueur glasses and served everyone a slosh of Cointreau to go with the almond and orange cake. It gave me such pleasure. We have all done it. Prodded out a quick text saying: “Thnx for a gr8 night”. But somehow this seems perfunctory and doesn’t show enough appreciation.

A properly written thank you note gives you time to slow down and really think about what you are saying. And the recipient will feel much more appreciated when they see the envelope on their doormat. As the mother of three boys, I have done everything I can to