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Mary Killen

Mary Killen

The Spectator

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Dear Mary / How do I politely ditch my hairdresser?

Q. I have just returned from a holiday where I was the guest of someone extremely rich. She was emphatic that everything would be covered and I must...

31.03.2024 20

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Dear Mary / Dear Mary: Is it rude for guests to ask for my wifi code?

Q. Do you agree with me that it is very bad manners to ask for a wifi code as soon as you walk into a lunch in someone else’s house? I have a...

16.03.2024 10

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Dear Mary / Dear Mary: should I work with clients with bad taste?

Q. I used to work for a well-known decorator and have now branched out on my own. Some friends of my parents have asked me if I’d like to redecorate...

09.03.2024 10

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Dear Mary / Dear Mary: how can I duck a friend’s expensive birthday party?

Q. I must be the only person with this problem but I would really welcome a solution. I have a lovely neighbour in the flat below who happily has my...

03.03.2024 10

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Dear Mary / From Joanna Lumley: what do you get someone who insists they don’t want a present?

Q. The other day I went to an all-male dinner party of about 20 people in a highly respectable club. I spent the first few minutes shaking hands with...

16.12.2023 9

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Christmas guide / How to give gifts

1. Don’t try to compete with a super-rich host. You may have to sing for your supper but you are not expected to pay for it. Their ‘people’...

17.11.2023 9

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Dear Mary / Dear Mary: does eating meat count as a dietary requirement? 

Q. My friend and I are being driven mad by a woman at our church who, after Mass, buttonholes us in the car park and goes on about a small airfield...

02.11.2023 3

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Dear Mary / I’m 62 and highly eligible. How do I stop friends trying to set me up?

Q. Like a lot of my friends, my husband is selectively hard of hearing. He loves his garden and I spend ages calling him when it is lunchtime/someone...

15.10.2023 3

The Spectator

Mary Killen

Dear Mary / Dear Mary: is it rude to ditch a stag do? 

Q. I have been walking my dog with a neighbour who has turned out to be a very entertaining companion. She knows masses of local gossip and is very...

05.10.2023 3

The Spectator

Mary Killen

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