Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Dinner parties - a thing of the past? or athing of your class?

115 replies

SpeckledHen · 28/07/2009 14:30

My parents had these. TYhey were form,al affairs and my mum went to a lot of troubler. Now I only know of a couple of folk in my neighbourhood who have them. Do any of you still have them and if so what is the format? Have they largely been replaced by BBQs?Are dinner parties, dare I say it, class related?

OP posts:
BadgersArse · 28/07/2009 19:18

Isnt it funny how " dh does thecooking" is cropping up so often

ffair enough if he does the day to day crap too but otherwise id say sod off

Sullwah · 28/07/2009 19:24

We do them quite a lot - saves getting a babysitter in

We have one group of three couples who get together every three months or so. Host does main course and then the other two do starter and desert - so not too much hassle.

messalina · 28/07/2009 20:03

We used to have dinner parties but then we got far too busy. None of my friends ever have them either. We go out to eat and pay for a babysitter. I hate cooking and clearing up the mess afterwards is even worse. But I love going to other people's houses and if they invite me, I do make the effort to invite them back. DH always does the cooking and I do the rest.

sheepgomeep · 28/07/2009 20:47

I dunno but my mum and dd used to have these all the time when I was little, they were well posh, my mum and dad and thier friends used to get dressed in formal dinner wear, my mum did a very fancy 3 course meal, they used to arrive at each others houses at about 8pm, no telly and phil collins on the stereo, soft lighting and wine flowing

Then after tea they used to sit and talk till the early hours.

I always thought it was what the posh middle classes did, I.ve NEVER done anything like that

But we do have friends over now and again for tea, and we go to thiers, it was mince and dumplings last night at our friends!

hf128219 · 28/07/2009 20:59

Does anyone doe the old car keys on the coffee table trick these days?

Lovesdogsandcats · 28/07/2009 21:12

'having people over for SUPPER' grrr hate this - is supper not something people have in evening/before bed if still hungry?

diedandgonetodevon · 28/07/2009 21:16

What on earth is wrong with having people over for supper??

Lovesdogsandcats · 28/07/2009 21:18

Whats supper? have you already had dinner before you have this 'supper'?

moondog · 28/07/2009 21:20

lol at Phil Collins on stereo

'Against all odds' was it?

diedandgonetodevon · 28/07/2009 21:21

Of course you haven't had dinner first

Lovesdogsandcats · 28/07/2009 21:23

so, why not have people over for dinner then?

diedandgonetodevon · 28/07/2009 21:26

Supper for us is later, lighter and informal.

Dinner would be a formal meal.

hf128219 · 28/07/2009 21:30

Dinner is a posh supper to posh people
Supper is a normal scoff in the evening
Dinner is lunch to some

Lovesdogsandcats · 28/07/2009 21:33

Why not have them over for tea - shove a few slices of malt loaf and a couple of jam tarts down their necks, a quick cup of tea and you can have them out the door and get yourself into your pj's by 7pm - job done

hf128219 · 28/07/2009 21:35

Tea is something served in cups

hatwoman · 28/07/2009 21:37

we have people over for dinner loads. but I shudder at the idea of calling it a dinner party. we went to some new friends' house recently and my mum asked if it was "formal". I think I, rather rudely, snorted.

oneopinionatedmother · 28/07/2009 21:58

i prefer to socialise after baby bed time, so dinner parties would be nice.

but not a thing of today....

sit down takeaway and film seems to work better.

I'd love an excuse to get dressed up, wear heels and not have to walk anywhere though!

whomovedmychocolate · 28/07/2009 22:05

SausageRocket - we quite regularly have breakfast on the terrace (the front terrace, the back terrace doesn't get sun till lunchtime). The reason being, eating even one piece of toast with small children takes an age so you may as well do it somewhere where the birds will clear up and you get some fresh air.

But to answer the OP we have friends for supper I guess about once a month. We have lots of informal lunches as well when people who are around are invited to join us. I like it. DH and I are both good cooks, so why not. It's often the only time I get to eat with my husband!

Mumcentreplus · 28/07/2009 22:45

lol@'well posh'...my mum had many dinner parties with her friends..must have been an 80s thing ..I would love to do some..perhaps when my house looks less like a bomb hit it..lol

I would to do a 'Come dine With Me' between friends I think it would be fun..

Mumcentreplus · 28/07/2009 22:47

what about a 'Come Dine With Me' between Mumsnetters?..lol

jemart · 29/07/2009 00:42

Its true, I cook 90% of the time but when we have guests it is nearly always DH who cooks for them.

I am always in charge of pudding though.

Astrophe · 29/07/2009 03:19

I love dinner parties - love having them, love going to them...although agree with others that the invites back don't happen very often.

I would never say "come for a dinner party" though, just "come for dinner". DH and I both like cooking, like planning the menu - good excuse to try some new fun dishes and put candles on the table etc, and nice to have a NO KIDS event now and again.

Nothing we have ever done compares to the formality of my parents dinner parties though. My Mum used to have them every couple of week - silver, crystal, seating plan,3 wine glasses each etc. They still do it now and again, and seem to enjoy it with their friends, but on the ocassion that DH and I and anyone from our generation have been at them, it all seems a bit stiff and awkward to us.

I guess its a generation thing - we feel happier being less formal, but still 'lavish' IYSWIM, whereas my parents generation feel comfortable with the silver service, and my parents would feel it was rude not to pull all the stops like that.

LoveBeingAMummy · 29/07/2009 08:18

Today I am going to be practising mojito sorbet to take to the 'dinnner party' I am attending on sat night, as you can tell from what I'm taking its hardly formal.

There will be three of us so again not normal dinner party numbers but hey more drinks for us {in fact his partner arrives home and then makes us cocktail does that count as staff?). Hes a very good cook, in March he cooked a full Christmas dinner, including crackers.

Bascially three mates meeting up who don't see each other very often to eat, drink and be merry, sat around a very nicely done table.

Bumperslucious · 29/07/2009 08:34

We have people over for dinner, very informal though. We have even done 'ready stead cook' type dinners with a couple friend of ours, buying random ingredients for each other

Hate the term 'kitchen supper' though, it's very wanky, very Nigella trying to prove she is a normal person.

squeaver · 29/07/2009 10:02

I went to a "dinner party" just last week.

The food was served from a hostess trolley.

Dh and I almost wet ourselves on the way home.