1. Fill and boil the kettle prior to guest’s arrival
2. Warm your teapot before they arrive too (No need to brew the tea until they arrive)
3. Have your selection of loose leaf teas already out so you can offer a choice
4. Set out the tea tray and make sure it has everything they may want

a. Teapot
b. Milk jug
c. Sugar (white cubes, preferably) and sugar tongs
d. Slices of lemon (pips removed)
e. Cups, saucers and teaspoons
f. Tea strainer

5. Check everything is ready and presentable in the sitting room
6. A plate of biscuits or some tasty morsels ready to go (perhaps covered in clingfilm if you decide to get ready hours in advance) is also a good idea. I always have some homemade pistachio fudge in the freezer which I can whip out at a moment’s notice and within 10 minutes out of the cold, it’s ready to eat!

When setting up your tea tray in the kitchen, place the heavier items in the middle rather than on to one side as this will make it much easier to carry it through once your friend has arrived.

Guests were treated to an interactive and educational morning with Alexandra as she demonstrated all of the important aspects of organising a cocktail party for friends, colleagues and family.

From guest lists and invitations to canapé recipes, décor to hostess gifts, all aspects were covered. Guests also had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on lesson in flower arranging.

The event took place at Miele’s award winning Gallery in Dubai.  The Miele Gallery is spread over two floors, the ground floor dedicated to showcasing the latest Miele domestic and professional appliances, and the mezzanine level being a fully equipped, state-of-the-art presentation facility and live kitchen.

Future themed events for later in the spring are being planned between The English Manner and Miele.

Click here to see pictures from the event.

CEO Marilyn Comrie OBE and I travelled out last night; we had to change planes at Doha as there is no direct flight from Manchester. Unfortunately the Manchester plane was a bit late taking off, so although WE managed to change planes in Doha our cases didn’t! Travelling to Africa can sometimes be a bit problematic – this is Marilyn’s third experience of losing her luggage, I have only had it happen twice so far, but that experience should have told me to pack a change of clothes in my hand luggage.

When training abroad there is always lots to take with you; I need a number of smart outfits to work in as well as casual clothes (especially if I am lucky enough to go on a short safari, which I am hoping to this trip) and books and manuals etc for courses, so I decided to take those with me and trust my clothes to luck – bad decision! We had been told to expect our cases this afternoon as there was another Qatar Airways flight expected around lunchtime, but it is now 5.30 and still no sign……one thing I have learned though, always travel in smart clothes. You get treated with more respect and you can at least go to meetings or deliver training looking reasonably smart until, hopefully, your baggage arrives!

No matter the color or the fashion, though, Christmas in France is, like everything else here, really all about food and those trends don’t change.  Of course people make a stab at decorating their homes, and most people I know go to midnight Mass.  But it’s all a prelude to the real moment of importance – one of the biggest feasts of the year.

As I’ve grown fond of the traditions here, I’ve fallen in love with the foods of the season.  Always an oyster fan, here I’ve become oyster-obsessed.  My Christmas season includes as many of them as I can reasonably consume, always washed down with a highly chilled Sauvignon Blanc or Muscadet.  My favorites this year will be the lean, hauntingly briny oysters from St. Vaast, just off the coast of the Cotentin peninsula.  Easy to open, easier to slurp, I serve them neat, no lemon or shallot and vinegar concoction to dilute their purity.

Along with them, in my household, will be the noble scallop.  I bring them home in their shells rather than ask the fishmonger to shuck them, preferring to pry them loose myself. I slice the first few very thin to serve raw, with a little “filet” or drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some fleur de sel.  These I offer to the guests who populate the kitchen, and they are often greeted with caution – the French don’t tend to eat a lot of raw seafood.  Once sampled, however, the slices disappear in a haze of favorable commentary.

The remaining scallops I leave in their cupped shells, drizzle with butter, and bake quickly so they emerge just warm in the center.  Sublime.

This year I’ve introduced a new dish to my family and friends.  It consists of raw lobster meat extracted from the shell of the elegant blue beasts that live all along the northern coast of France.  I cut the translucent, red-tinged meat into thin “escalopes,” or angled slices. These I arrange in buttered dishes, drizzle with a bit of intensely flavored fish stock, sprinkle with tarragon from the garden, and bake in a hot oven for less than five minutes.  The lobster emerges with an unparalleled, conversation-stopping  purity of flavor and texture that is almost holy. I serve it with a gently chilled white Burgundy.  We’re still in the kitchen which is a-light with candles and a fire burning in the fireplace.  It speaks of celebration, and is a wonderful way to begin a festive meal.

Leaving aside the briny realm for a moment, the Christmas season also ushers in chestnuts, which abound in our local forests. We gather them – this year’s harvest has given exceptionally large and meaty ones – and I roast them in the fireplace, or boil them in water scented with star-anise.  Apples are at their utmost during this season, too, and I take a nice, tart variety like Cox Orange Pippin, peel it, and slice it very thin.   I  brush the slices on both sides with butter and sprinkle them lightly with a mixture of ground cinnamon, cumin, and fleur de sel. These I bake long and slow and they emerge sweet and salty, crisp and scrumptious.

For Christmas we always make a bûche de Noel.  I don’t care for the typical light, airy kind, and instead use a recipe I got from a Basque farmer. The cake is dense and cinnamon-scented, the filling a beguiling blend of chestnut paste and chocolate, the frosting a semi-sweet ganache. I make meringue mushrooms, and we create a little forest scene on the top of our “bûche.”

All of this is memories-in-the-making, which is one of the best parts of Christmas, whether it be enjoyed in our country of origin, or our country of choice.  From briny beginning to sweet finish, I wish you your own memory-filled moment, and leave you with a recipe to duplicate.  Bonne Année!

The whole chilly nature of a French Christmas is played out in traditional holiday decorations, too, which lean to a proliferation of tiny sparkling white lights, silvery boughs, blue ribbons. Red and green are almost entirely absent, as are jolly men ho-ho-ho-ing, elves prancing through decorations, Christmas trees buried by gifts, and all the ritual parties that lead up to the big day.

It took me awhile to get used to this more formal approach to Christmas, steeped as I am in the nostalgic American traditions.  We still hang stockings around the chimney, decorate the house, hang lights inside and out, and listen to Christmas music from dawn to dusk. I fill the house with all the old, familiar aromas, from sweet spices to honey to the molasses that makes  gingerbread so good.  And I have an annual party where I invite neighbors, teachers, friends, and shopkeepers. I think they all find it an odd little tradition, with the mulled wine and home made cookies, bowls of spiced nuts and mounds of sweet breads, bunches of mistletoe, fir boughs under the windows, and the biggest Christmas tree I can find, but no one every declines an invitation!

Despite my penchant for nostalgia,  I’ve grown fond of the French approach to Christmas.  There is something gloriously elegant about it, in spite or because of its shivery nature.  I love nothing more than walking down the Champs-Elysees during the Christmas season – a-glitter with sparkle, it is an ice-queen’s dream.  The Eiffel Tower sparkles, ice-skaters twirl in front of the Hotel de Ville to the strains of Christmas music, the Bon Marche’s interior decorations are breathtaking, and the Galeries Lafayette offers exotic fancy and color.  Dozens of Christmas markets pop up everywhere, and their little Alsatian-like chalets are cute from a distance.

Visit the blog on Thursday 28th for Part 2!

L- don’t LEAVE things until the last minute – especially Christmas cards.  If you are going to send them, make a list and try and send them early in December, which gives you plenty of time if you suddenly find you have forgotten someone.  Many charities rely on Xmas cards as a substantial part of their annual revenue,  and although many e-cards contain a donation to charity they are just not the same!  There is nothing nicer than brightening  up the house with colourful cards, but as postage is expensive, it might be an idea to send them only to those you don’t see very often.  I tend to hand deliver cards to local friends and only post the ones who live a distance away.  If Christmas is at your house, order the wine, the tree and the turkey (or whatever your Christmas fare) in good time.  Also make sure you have enough oil and logs so that if the weather turns suddenly cold outside – you will be warm inside!

A – have an ACTION plan.  It is much easier to spread the load.  If you celebrate a big family Christmas, get others to contribute, both to the work and to the expense.  For instance, someone can bring the wine, another could bring the Christmas puds, someone else can provide cheese, crackers etc.  Also, it is important to make sure that you get help to clear things away.  In Britain we tend to finish the day by watching what are (hopefully) good programmes on TV, so make sure the younger members of the household get into the routine of clearing the table, putting stuff into the dishwasher and generally helping to put the house back the way it was.

N – NEVER let disagreements get in the way of a lovely day, Christmas  should be a time for mending fences and friendship.  If you have had  ’words’ with family or friends, sending them a card can be a way of getting back in touch, and if you have a lonely old auntie or neighbours who are going to spend Christmas on their own, why not ask them to join you – even if it just for a drink before lunch?

2.  Ladies can wear hats indoors until 6pm.  Unlike men who have to remove them when indoors (at all times), a woman’s hat is part of the outfit and not an accessory.

3. Ladies never leave the dining table during a meal as it means the gentlemen have to rise from their seats, which disrupts everybody, so make sure you go to the loo before you go to the dining room!

4. When visiting your friends’ estates, it is good form to leave a tip for the maid who cleans your bedroom.  £5 per day should suffice, or ask your host how much you should leave.

5. Many dinners at Downton are White Tie affairs, although in recent times Black Tie has been creeping in.  When White Tie is the order of the evening, long gloves and jewels should be worn.

6. The hallmark of a true gentleman is that he knows how to tie a bow tie, so ladies, make sure your sons start to learn early!

7. After dinner the ladies repair to the drawing room, so when your hostess says something like “ladies, shall we?” don’t linger at dining table, even if you are having the most fascinating conversation.

8. Some country houses can be a little chilly, so some warm underwear can make the evenings more comfortable!

9. When invited with your husband to go shooting, make sure you take some warm country clothes and suitable boots if you are to join the gentlemen for lunch.

10. ‘How do you do’ is still the correct greeting when meeting someone new.  This is a not a question, so the answer is also ‘How do you do’.

11. Think about the clothes you will need for a weekend away so that you don’t take too many suitcases.  You should not look as though you are coming to stay for a month!

12. Today, when you are asked to stay for a country weekend your hostess says, “we dress”, it means that they wear Black Tie for dinner.  This means you will need to ask your maid to pack at least two evening dresses. It is also as well to take something smart to wear on Sunday if you are taken to church.

Coming soon: William Hanson’s guide on how to be a Downton gentleman!

time. The good news is that there was a great deal of variety on the catwalks in terms of shape and colour so you can be sure to find some great pieces to flatter your figure and colouring next Spring/Summer.

Caroline Charles, for example, showed a collection bursting with tropical, fruity colours in a relaxed, easy-to-wear StreamLine Style, accompanied by citrus-hued platform sandals and over-sized wicker baskets with colourful straps.

Maria Grachvogel, on the other hand, favoured sheer, wispy, LooseLine outfits in pale pastel shades or ultra-clean white. Platform sandals ruled this catwalk too but other accessories were kept to a minimum. Makeup was neutral and subdued while hair was a casual/messy plaited style.

Corrie Nielson’s show was more of an art exhibition than a fashion show with amazing, sculptural outfits, mostly in the CinchedIn Style, accompanied by huge head-pieces sitting on a nest of matted hair.

As well as the catwalk shows, Lucy and I also attended numerous presentations, exhibitions and parties (hic!). Our favourite was a combined exhibition/party at the

Aram Gallery showcasing Eley Kishimoto’s ‘Living With Pattern’ tented exhibition which included fabulously patterned platform (again) sandals designed exclusively for Clarks Shoes. A great evening with live music, free beer and the fabulously patterned fashions, shoes, ceramics and sculpture.

One to watch for the future is new designer Heohwan Simulation, who managed to combine extremely sharp, StraightUp Style tailoring with a soft, fluid, drapey feel,

His tailored silk jackets, cropped pants and belted macs were only bettered by his laser-cut leather dresses, tunics and coats. The only thing we’re not too sure about for next summer is platform sandals worn with socks… maybe give that one a miss!