As our taxi pulled away from the kerb, I looked back at our house. Through the sitting room window I could see as far as the open kitchen door. In the foreground, our weekend guests JS, RR, JLR, JS, and J and GC were smartly attired in cocktail dresses and dinner jackets. They were all obviously enjoying one another’s company, Champagne glasses in hand. On show here for anyone passing the house to see were all the ingredients of a splendid party .

It seemed that TPR and I had made the wrong call, agreeing to spend a sedate evening with L and TF at P and SM’s house. However, I was relieved not to suffer JLR’s hangover the following day.