YOUR PROBLEMS SOLVED
Dear Mary..
Q. Last weekend, for various reasons, I had only one guest bedroom in operation and no staff. While one friend left on Sunday afternoon, the other arrived on Sunday night and, in the interval, as I made the mistake of telling my first guest, I myself changed the bed and made the guest room ready. I was taken aback when, as my first (notoriously mean) guest was leaving, he announced that he had repocketed the £10 he had originally left in his room on the grounds that 'your daily won't be doing the room now and I can hardly give it to you, my dear'. It was annoying to be outwitted by him in this way as this was the first time he had ever left anything in his room and it would have gone a small way towards com- pensating for his previous neglect. What Should I have said?
R.P.W., Wilts A. You could have said warmly, 'Oh no, do give it to me and I'll give it on to my daily. She would love it, and after all she pre- pared the room for you.'
Q. I was given your book for Christmas. I much enjoyed reading it and feel you may be able to help me. My life at school is made rather miserable by a somewhat dull, unattractive, friendless girl who has
attached herself to me and persists in fol- lowing me everywhere, much to my annoy- ance. When I once ran away from her it reduced her to tears. It is not that I wish to be unkind but I long to get her off my back as I am getting rather desperate. Have you any brilliant ideas?
L.S., London W8 A. Be in league with another schoolgirl whom you can trust and who will agree to hang around with you for a week or so. Tell the friendless girl that you and your new constant companion are writing a play together or invent some other creative pro- ject which may be more appropriate. The girl will easily understand that this means you will see a lot less of her for a bit as you spend all your free time as part of a dynam- ic duo, discussing ideas etc. This should be
a painless means of helping her to reduce her emotional dependence on you.
Q. May I pass on a tip to readers whose children enjoy playing with Lego and who don't want to spend hours each night tidy- ing away the hundreds of fiddly little bits they have left scattered all over the floor? Simply sweep them up with a dustpan and brush, and pop them straight back into their container.
A. Thank you for that useful tip.
Q. What can one do when people 'sit in' at dinner parties, refusing to eat themselves because they are 'not hungry' or because they have 'just dropped in'? Meanwhile their eyes are flashing round everyone else's plate, or they are picking at their neighbours' plates. I would far rather they forced themselves to choke something down, but they seem to think they are being more considerate by not doing so. How can I persuade them otherwise? AC,, W8 A. Why not take a tip from one intolerant hostess I know? She deals with such deviants by crying in delight, 'Oh goody, then you can buttle!' as she snatches their chair away from the table.
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