Q. Last year we were invited by dear friends to country house opera, which was wonderful except that we discovered afterwards that we were expected to pay for our tickets — over £100 each! I gather this is fairly normal practice. But we dread being re-invited this year. How can I decline without having to admit that the price is too high?
Figaro, Home Counties
A. Most people are now happily admitting that they can’t afford things. We are all in this together. The trouble is that such an admission may result in the host insisting on paying for one. To pre-empt this, you should decline such invitations immediately. There is no need to elaborate on why. If bullied for an answer as to what you are doing instead, simply bulge your eyes mysteriously and say, ‘Can I tell you after it’s happened?’ If pressed later you can say, ‘Oh dear yes, something I hoped would happen didn’t come off.
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