Q. Last weekend my wife and I were lent a
country cottage belonging to two married friends while they were away in Wales. Everything was perfect, including the extremely comfortable bed. The only thing that marred this idyllic holiday setting was the electric kettle in the kitchen, which, as people knowledgable about antiques, we estimated to be of some considerable age. I should add that my wife is a connoisseur of the 'golden leaf' and will partake only of the most delicate Darjeeling (such as that purveyed in square green tins at Fortnum and Mason), and she found the combination of that fine blend with geological levels of limescale not quite to her taste. We paid a visit to an electrical goods emporium in the local town and bought a shiny new kettle. This resplendent article we left behind in the hope that it would come as a welcome surprise to our friends. However, as we drove away we began to worry that the old kettle may be imbued with some poignant, sentimental significance, and that by replacing it we have trampled over private matters that should not be our concern. Besides, we thought with growing embarrassment, what if our friends view the new kettle as an implicit criticism of
their choice of kitchen equipment and take offence? Have we done the right thing, Mary?
R. & I., London W11 A. Yes, of course you have done the right thing, provided you did not dispose of the old kettle. It was an implicit criticism of your friends' choice of equipment, but an affectionate and helpful one.
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