MAUD had been looking forward to finally getting her decorations out again. And now with a whole afternoon at her disposal she was really going to savour the experience and make it something special.

THE fire in the great hall burned brightly to welcome Lady Dunstone’s guests to the event of the season, the Dunstone Manor Christmas Ball. The Manor was splendid this year. Snow glittered on the tree

Silverware, with its glistering surface and ornate designs, dresses the table like no other material and has an unmatched capacity for turning a meal into an occasion, as Matthew Dennison discovers

HAVE YOUR SAY

This is an age-old problem. The simplest answer is to start with less, so decluttering is always the first step. Sort through your belongings and separate what you use daily from what you only need se

WHERE d’you get them vases from, Lil? Are they new?” Lily’s neighbour Sonia asked. She’d popped over for her Friday morning chat and a cuppa. They were settled in their usual places side by side on th