A sailor in white service dress uniform came up and offered him a large gin and tonic, on a silver tray.

The door opened and his manservant, an ex-Gurkha naik named Kim, came in with a silver tray which he placed by the fire.

A silver tray of orange juice, fresh croissants and coffee had just been delivered from the bar opposite.

For the first time I noticed she was holding a silver tray by her side, empty apart from a few crumbs of fish cakes or satay.

She then opens a lacquered wooden box on the silver tray and using a pair of long silver tongs extracts a writhing leech.