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

Painting a local cricket match, Sherree Valentine-Daines received an invitation that changed her career and led her to become artist-in-residence at Goodwood

Our round-up of the funny, fascinating and unusual stories this fortnight

Lesley Fernández-Armesto on a superior cake for Christmas

When Rita saw what Tess was planning, she went crackers

STOW-ON-THE-WOLD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE