Table For One

Lucy predicts a new romantic trend . . . dining alone

- Lucy Etherington

THIS month, which contains one day that seems to make everyone other than Clinton’s Cards, local restaurants and florists everywhere miserable, I thought I’d share with you my love for dining alone.

It would be weird, wouldn’t it, if come Valentine’s Day we all booked tables for one. Imagine the horror. Single people turning up in droves armed with novels, or just sitting and staring around the room while masticating thoughtfully. I wonder if it would be more or less silent and awkward than the normal Valentine’s night, with various couples forced to come to the realisation that they have nothing in common other than the children, their marriage is a sham and the potatoes aren’t even cooked properly.