I WAS reading about Tudor banquets and what was on the menu and how you were supposed to conduct yourself. Of course, we all grew up with the idea of a portly Henry VIII pulling off bits of chicken and lobbing the bones over his shoulder. The reality was, according to what I’ve read, completely different.

Firstly, the range of dishes at a big event was staggering and included birds like bittern, heron, swan and a variety of ducks, with smaller birds like larks or blackbirds as well. I can’t imagine catching, cooking and eating a lark was particularly rewarding, but then I’m not sure heron or swan were especially tasty. But, I guess you went with the flow.

The Tudors actually ate quite well, and Martinmas, which falls on November 11, was often the slaughter date when animals were killed and the meat preserved by smoking or salting. Probably got a bit boring by the time spring came and something fresh was on offer.

One thing that would surprise us is the dining etiquette – no bone chucking here. It was expected hands were washed before sitting down and a clean towel or napkin placed over your left shoulder.

You would bring your own knife, its ornateness reflecting your status. Use the napkin to clean fingers but cut bread, rather than ripping chunks off.

Do not slurp soup or pick your teeth and, in the words of a Dutch writer, “do not shift buttocks from left to right, as if to let off a great blast”.

It was expected that the guests would not eat all the food on the table, as the servants were fed from the leftovers.

It sounds all quite sophisticated and not unlike a meal in the Old Inn today. Except for the heron, I’ll skip that.