“I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers,[…]the chlorotic squatters on huge yachts, the speed-mad fugitives from the furies of ennui, the neurotic victims of mental cirrhosus,[…]!”

Defence spending, as promised last week, is headed for a $54bn boost. Now Mr [Donald] Trump has revealed the size of his planned infrastructure programme, and it's a whopping $1 trillion.

I'll play the first couple of bars by myself to lead you in.

And allow a bit of a cocktail hour before the meal so that when your guests arrive, you have time to mingle before you step into the kitchen.