Dear Mary…
Q. Your child of not super-rich parents (8 October) needs to be aware that, if his parents hand ownership of their house to him, for the transfer to be valid for tax purposes they would then have to pay a full rent to him, and they might not want or be able to do this.
T.W.A., Surrey
A. Yes my correspondent might well have found that this was the case and it might well not suit the parents to shell out the full rent. However, the point was to prompt the parents into confronting the issue of legal tax avoidance in the first place so that they can take action sooner rather than later.
Q. Re: pyjama trouser options. There is another solution to your correspondent who thinks that serving breakfast in pyjamas should be exotic rather than erotic or merely pseudo-exhibitionist. This is to enjoy the kikoi, lungi or sarong. These can be worn with or without an elasticised waist and if your correspondent doesn’t wish accidentally to display the full ‘English’ at breakfast, he can always wear a belt. Thus he will enjoy the exotic and avoid any embarrassment from accidental exposure.
B.R., Hadleigh, Suffolk
A. Thank you for adding to the debate on pyjama gape. Unfortunately sarongs are usually too sweaty and scratchy for a man to sleep in. The 100 per cent cotton or linen kikoi or lungi would be better were it not for the typical man’s habit of ‘scissoring’ his legs while asleep. The result? He wakes up with a sense of draught in the nether regions and a painful doughnut of fabric around his waist. He could merely change into one of these garments once he was up and about and serving breakfast to guests but would still not enjoy peace of mind. Even with the elasticated waistband and with layering, all three fabrics are so lightweight that there would still be the problem of silhouette offence.
Q. Are awnings still common? I have often thought an awning would be so useful, projecting out of the wall and into a back garden to add an extra ‘room’ to the house. It would screen off the sun during the day in summer and add a bit of protection to enable you to eat outside at night. The problem is that the ones I have seen advertised have always looked very brutal. Do you know a supplier of tasteful awnings, Mary?
A.F., London W8
A. These days awnings have been rehabilitated. Awning patterns used to be famously hideous but now that you can commission your awning to be upholstered in a pattern of your own choice it is a different matter. What is more, electrical advances mean that the modern awning glides silently out of your house wall at the touch of a button. It can extend up to three metres from its base without side struts and will refurl itself back into a discreet position once more at the touch of a button. Outdoor heaters are also available to ensure that one can replicate the cosiness of inside while enjoying the scents and sounds of the night-time. One of our leading London tastebrokers is currently enjoying candlelit dinners in her W11 garden, even at this stage of the autumn, thanks to her newly installed awning. Total outlay — £6,123 including VAT and installation. I believe the supplier was Deane’s Blinds.
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