Apart from my entire – and, at the time, quite extensive – family and their pets – I have invited neighbours, old friends who would otherwise be on their own, new friends who would otherwise be on their own, and my daughter's friends who would otherwise be on their own to Christmas lunch. I also always invited neighbours for drinks and mince pies on Christmas morning. If people accepted my invitation, I was always delighted; if they didn't, I simply accepted the fact that they didn't want to come or were going somewhere else. Complacency – smug or otherwise – was never my emotion; just pleasure in sitting around a dining – well, two dining – tables together enjoying traditional Christmas fare and good company. Interestingly, my guests never went home early. However, I never used that rather loathsome comment about being lonely.