Mumsnet Talk

So we have got quite friendly with this couple through school. They are both professionals lawyer/banker and seem to have shedloads of money and live in a beautiful house. But I have always thought they are a bit odd - a few strange random comments and slightly bonkers opinions on things, but I don't mind strange and DD gets on well with their DD.

They invited us round to supper at their big posh house the other night and DH and I made a real effort to 'scrub up'. Paid for babysitter, dolled ourselves up and spent more on wine than we ever would at home.

We get there - all fine and lovely. Glass of wine and chit chat - slightly odd topics (sex life of Nomads in Papa New Guinea and a less interesting 15 minutes on Chinese banking but still...), then we sit down at quite a formal dinner table and hostess serves starter of.... tinned soup. We know it's tinned because it's Heniz tomato soup and there are 3 empty cans in bin... That's ok, we like soup and chat away. Hostess starts laughing uncontrollably at something. Host doesn't think this is odd but sits back and wait for her to stop. We smile and ask what's so funny but she just carries on laughing. Then she stops and carries on talking as though nothing had happened. She then makes a bit to-do and hoo-ha about serving up main course of.... macaroni cheese. Not even baked in the oven, just macaroni stirred into a cheese sauce - like I make for DCs. And that's it.

DH and I eat it and try not to catch each others eyes. Nothing is said about the choice of main course other than 'I hope you like macaroni cheese' so I start to wonder if my expectations were too high? And then we get pudding which is a scoop of Neapolitan ice cream out of the tub.

As we leave, host pinches my bottom in full view of everyone and says 'that was fun' and hostess laughs her head off and says 'pinch punch first day of the month' - even though it isn't. And that's it.

DH says they are a bit quirky and to stop going on about it but I think they are mentalists. I'm right aren't I?

YANBU!

oh forgot to add that the reason I am stressing is that I feel I ought to reciprocate with invitation but really don't want to for fear of it forming a habbit...

Being "posh" doesn't mean you can cook! Did they make you feel welcome and were you all having a nice time? That's the sign of a good dinner party to me, not the quality of the food. They do sound a bit crackers though, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! I'd be a bit annoyed at the bottom pinching though, that's not on.

YANBU - what an odd evening. And about the bottom pinching! I'm really laughing here esp about the soup but tbh if I were you I would now be avoiding them like the plague!

YANBU! Can you invite them back as part of a group to dilute their weirdness?

Do you think they might be swingers? Perhaps 'dinner' was just so they could check you out!

I know that PJ snd I realise that I might be being judgy-pants about the food. But it was all so bizarre and surely even if you can't cook, you could buy something you stick in the oven and a ready made pudding rather than kids food - whcih is what it felt like? TBH the whole evening was so odd that by the time the bottom pinching happened, I was ready for anything

Oh come on pjmama, they sound bonkers! I get what you're saying and I'm a shite cook but even I could stump up something better than tinned soup and macaroni cheese. I'd at least go for Covent Garden soup and an M&S dinner.

Would be pissed off at the bottom pinching too.

Are they swingers?? Do you still get such a thing these days? Just be careful if they ask you around again and they're starkers.

if it wasn't for the bottom pinching I'd say YABU and they're just a bit quirky.

Invite them back and send out for fish & chips.

They sound off their rockers but not about the food. I love Heinz tommy soup and macaroni cheese.

<wipes drool from chin>

Were they all dolled up too? Could they have had a busy week and forgotten about it so it was a case of whatever they had in the house (hence the laughing)? Bottom pinch definitely odd - were they expecting the evening to go a little differently? Maybe you should have punched and kicked him back.

YANBU

Sounds like they'd think that fish and chips was the height of haute cuisine

That dinner party menu has made me very hungry

They do sound odd, but in a good way.

Invite them over, at least you don't have the pressure of them being wonderful cooks to get you stressed out.

Oh and pinch his bum when they leave.

Swingers, I bet they are swingers!

You see, I didn't like to say, but as two people have already suggested it, I thought swingers too.

I thought swingers but didn't like to say either!

. Thank you for making me laugh it hasn't happened in a while.

Yeah, I'm going for the swinger vote too.

They're not selling themselves very well then! Boring conversationalists, crap cooks and schoolboy passes. If you're into swinging you must be able to do better than that

Swingers. Defo. Re inviting them back, the only issue here is whether you enjoyed the bum-pinch or not?

Ok, bottom pinching is weird but the rest of it?

You sound SO hungup on their "posh"ness. And you make the meal sound like a transaction - do you think you're entitled to better than average food cos you spent more than average on your wine?

You need to get over your pigeon-holing, or maybe don't.. hopefully they'll have cottoned onto the fact that you aren't that keen on them and they wont want or expect a return invite.

and maybe they save the nice food for non twats?

Are you speaking from experience Rockbird ?