Decorous dining

sir – As teenagers in the 1920s, my mother and her two sisters attended a small formal dinner (Letters, September 15) given by their parents.

The main dish was crown of lamb, each rib end of which was topped with a decorative miniature paper chef ’s hat. To my grandmother’s astonishment, the wife of the guest of honour ate not just the meat, but the hat as well – so my grandmother glowered at her husband and children until they too ate their paper hats.

The dinner was a great success. Richard Longfield

Weston Patrick, Hampshire

sir – Some 55 years ago my wife and I invited guests round to thank them for their assistance at our wedding. We decided to serve meat fondue (all the rage then) and, as I was a chef, it was left to me to prepare all the sauces to go with the strips of raw fillet steak.

We assumed everything had gone well until, on leaving, one guest said: “That’s the first dinner party I’ve been to where I had to cook my own food.”

We haven’t heard from them since. Gray Wilson

Crowle, Worcestershire

sir – I remember the moment at one dinner party when a large crash came from the kitchen.

Not a word was said as the hostess carefully removed the spoon and fork from everyone’s place.

Stuart Asbury

Sutton Waldron, Dorset