The napkins are nicely folded in the cupboard, as is the tablecloth and the silver gets polished periodically. I think they came out last Christmas but maybe not – even then we did it casual.
Has the dinner party really gone – never to be seen again or is it just a passing phase?

I used to blame it on pregnancy, young children and an early Saturday morning radio show but as the kids grow and no longer need attending to at 6 am there is still a distinct lack of enthusiasm and invitations to dinner.

15 years ago I used to spend all of Saturday shopping for produce, preparing courses and making dessert. Come 7 pm the table was set, the candles lit and we were sitting suitably attired with a glass of wine in hand and the music on. The wine was even matched to the courses!
Glasses matched, the table was coordinated and there were always flowers on the table and in the loo.

Now, we still entertain but it is likely to be a last minute call to friends at 3pm, a dash to the shops for ingredients, gardening clothes still on and a wine or two over some noodles, curry, pizza or pasta. Sometimes dinner may be a gathering around a sporting event – in which case dinner is served on lap in front of a large screen.

Do people still do dinner parties I wonder and are we, the double working parents of more than 2 children the odd ones out here?
Are there those who still spend Saturday in the kitchen preparing?
We used to do it and I wonder what stopped it?

Surely there is something quite lovely about the conviviality of a dinner party, the absence of noisy children, the ability to get dressed for something and of course the chance to pore through recipe books and cook favourite dishes.

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