MANNERS AND OTHER MATTERS

Forget standing when women enter the room or calling all men “sir”. Modern western society would suggest that is behaviour from a forgotten time.  But what are the modern manners every child should have? When I was thinking about this post I returned to the memory of my father answering the telephone…the sort which was attached to a  wall and was shared among all members of the family. “Is Louise there?” would ask the tentative teenage male voice.  “Yes” was the response of my father as he put the telephone handset back into its cradle. Oh, the humiliation!  Whoever  the new “boyfriend” of the moment was, he had not asked the correct, and polite by my father’s standards, question: “Good evening…may I speak with Louise please”.   Then the answer would have been, perhaps:  “No, we are in the middle of dinner.  Why don’t you call back in half an hour”.  And then I would have to suffer through another half hour of polite family...

The  "cruise" vessel...my home for two weeks It has been a very busy two weeks. I was asked by numerous media outlets to comment during the leadup to the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton about the protocol and etiquette which was likely to be in place for the event; and then to comment after the beautiful wedding about the etiquette, protocol, and dress standards which were evident during the ceremony and following proceedings. In short, I loved it all, the splendour of the occasion and the pomp and ceremony, albeit with a modern touch. And sharing the joy of an obviously loving couple. Then it was Mother’s Day. And I received the annual requests for information from the media about how to combine a happy Mother’s Day with the dysfunctional family arrangements of separated families. My answer on all occasions is…with dignity and consideration for everyone involved. Sometimes it works…and sometimes it doesn’t…but there is always another year. And ...