Tittle Tattle

In last month's edition of Tatler, there appeared a useful article on how not to shame oneself by signing a visitor's book incorrectly.

Apparently there is an unspoken code that one is just expected to know.

'It's very naff to write a comment,' says David Cameron's brother-in-law Robert Sheffield.

...and then, later in the piece...

Statesmen can be the worst offenders. John Major not only embarrassed himself but the country when he signed 'John Major, 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA' in the visitors' book in the embassy in Riyadh.

David Cameron should be less embarrassing- his wife Samantha, as creative director of Smythson (maker of the smartest visitors' books) knows a thing or two about getting it right.

'Be creative with visitors' books with unlined pages. While visiting the country house of a family friend I was delighted to find one with all sorts of cartoons, poems and even watercolour paintings.'

If Gordon Brown gets nervous about wearing white tie, one shudders to think how he would negotiate an elitist social minefield like a visitor's book. Especially when he sees how impressed all the voters are with the Camerons' poems and watercolour paintings in visitors' books in country houses all over the UK.

Alice Fordham

Comments

[ben]

Could someone please explain what's supposed to be embarrassing about 'John Major, 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA'?

[Paul T]

It's 2008 not 1870. Victoria is no longer on the throne.