Not so long ago, writes Jeremy Paxman, the English were "polite, unexcitable, reserved, and had hot-water bottles instead of a sex-life". Today the end of empire has killed off the Bulldog Breed - "fearless and philistine, safe in taxis and invaluable in shipwrecks" - and transformed the great public schools. Princess Diana was mourned with the effusive emotionalism of an Italian saint.
In the past, it was popular for rich people in England to have servants, or people to help manage their homes. The most important servant was the butler. Today, there are fewer butlers, but the job is still important. What skills make a good butler? Where does one learn them?