Entertaining in England

Settling in hadn’t been easy for my parents, either. The week we moved in, all three of us had gone to say hello to the next-door neighbours early one evening.

‘We just moved in next door and wanted to say hi,’ said Mummy, standing on the doorstep.

‘We’re busy – we’re having our tea,’ said the lady, closing the door as quickly as she’d opened it. My parents never went over again.

To Mummy, making friends in England meant feeding them, offering them food she made with love and patience. She did this by hosting coffee mornings and inviting all the neighbourhood ladies.