Q. When staying with a friend some months ago, I foolishly dropped a small Clarice Cliff dish which broke into several pieces. Knowing his penurious state, one in which as a pensioner I share, I offered to pay for it. He accepted, telling me that he had paid $500 (approximately £200) for it. During a recent telephone conversation he casually mentioned that he’d been able to repair the dish with little evidence of the accident. Am I being unreasonable in wondering why he has neither given me the dish for which, after all, I’d paid, nor offered to refund at least part of the $500?
M.H., NSW, Australia
A. Even when invisibly mended, the overall integrity of the dish will have been compromised in the eyes of a collector. Consequently its value will have been reduced — although not quite to the tune of $500. Jog your friend’s memory by procuring some merit-free, pre-damaged china from a charity shop. On a return visit clumsily drop this within his earshot. ‘Thank goodness you are here!’ you can cry. ‘Now how was it that you mended that Clarice Cliff piece without going to a professional? Perhaps you can help me.’ As the two of you pore over the pieces there will be opportunity for you to naturally re-enact the earlier breakage drama and your handing over of the $500 and thereby trigger an explanation.
Q. How can I tactfully ask friends from the city who are coming to stay with us in Tuscany not to carry on doing deals by the pool? I appreciate that, with billions of pounds at stake, they can never afford to switch their BlackBerries off, but it is very unnerving for everyone else.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in