You're invited to a friends for dinner at 7pm, what time do you ring their doorbell?

[suggestionsplease1]

Out of interest, feel free to post to the minute!

Let's say this is not a very, very close friend, so you don't have a pre-existing idea of their expectations / preferences for your arrival time.

After reading another thread on visitor etiquette on AIBU today I was wondering if mumsnetters can converge on a perfect time, or if there are widely differing ideas on this issue!

7.20. I would intend to be there at about 7.10 but I’m always late.

7pm.

Is this a trick question?

7:10-7:15. Any later and it looks rude, but bang on time and they might be caught out running late!

6.55 to 7.05.

7.05 pm

7.10 to.7.15ish

7.08

7.08

But I would have arrived loads earlier and been waiting nearby kicking myself for being early. The last minutes would have been especially tough.

I would be ringing the doorbell at as close to 7pm as possible. Even if that meant arriving early (setting of early so I don't end up late) and walking round the block a few times so I'm not actually early.

7pm!

last 8 minutes

7.05.

7.10. DH always wants to arrive on the dot so I have to practically hide his shoes sometimes 😉

Very shortly after 7pm.

6.55 to 7.05. noooo! Those crucial 5 mins, never ever arrive early!

7:06 perfect

7.00 - 7.10

Invited for 7, or dinner to be ready at 7?

I’d have assumed that meant they were serving up at 19:00 so, given most people expect their guests ahead of that point, I’d have asked what time they wanted me to arrive, and would then arrive within 5 minutes either side of that time!

7.02, am very punctual but aware of not being rude by being early.

7.15

Nobody wants to see you before then

7.05pm

7.15. Any earlier would be terribly rude!

Around 5/10 past 7 - no later, and probably nearer 5 past, so 7.05, 06 or 07. Definitely no earlier than 7, or later than 7.15 unless we’d got caught in traffic - in which case we’d phone ahead.

With our close friends we are far more relaxed - ‘come for 7’ means 7.30ish as we’ll be eating around 8ish

7.15