Jeremy King, one of London’s most successful restaurateurs, is so good at deftly dealing with tricky customers that he must now be one of the world’s top etiquette gurus.Take his excellent rules for guests which he shared with me at an event the other day: don’t accept future invitations to anything you wouldn’t want to do if it was happening that evening, and if you are refusing, give a quick no and never offer an excuse or explanation – your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe you.I’m not sure I agree about the latter – try wriggling out of a good friend’s anniversary bash without an excellent excuse – but what’s certainly true is that when you throw a party, you definitely want it stuffed with people who want to be there. There’s nothing worse than a party where many of the guests have only come out of obligation.I’ve often thought the world is divided between natural guests and hosts in their attitude to life. Hosts like to be in charge of proceedings, whether in the office or at the dinner table. An event where they can’t be in control of the timings or the company is torture.They generally don’t enjoy staying in someone else’s home and when they go to parties they will find a few people to chat to in a corner all evening so as to create their own little landmass to host.Guests are the opposite. Last weekend we went to a splendid party in the country. Afterwards, a fellow attendee said they didn’t know anyone who enjoyed parties as much as me after witnessing me madly waving my hands in the air to the rousing chorus of Sweet Caroline (nothing to do with the footie but a tribute to the hostess of that name).It’s true – I not only love parties but I am a natural guest. I might be a control freak about many things, but I’m completely happy handing over responsibility when on another’s territory. My guess is that Jeremy King, like all his fellow restaurateurs, is a natural host – as are most film directors, captains of industry, prime ministers and entrepreneurs I eat whatever food I’m given and sit with whoever I’m placed next to. I feel energised in the company of those I don’t have to look after.My guess is that Jeremy King, like all his fellow restaurateurs, is a natural host – as are most film directors, captains of industry, prime ministers and entrepreneurs. And thank goodness for them. They want to take charge and the rest of us can just chill.Here’s why Serena is still holding courtWhat do you do when you have achieved everything in your chosen field? Well, if you’re tennis star Serena Williams, you return to the game you love, as she did last week competing at Queen’s after a four-year hiatus.One of the reasons for her comeback, she says, is that she wanted her daughters to see her as the tennis player she was and still is. Her eight-year-old, Olympia, was too young to see her on-court brilliance and two-year-old Adira was not yet born when Serena retired in 2022. Although Williams’ Queen’s Championships was cut short after her doubles partner injured her knee, I’m sure we’ll be seeing her again very soon. Rumour has it she’ll be at this year’s Wimbledon.It’s not uncommon for mothers to want their children to see them as they once were. I remember talking to Victoria Beckham about a Spice Girls reunion tour when she was launching her fashion business in 2008. Aside from the fee, she had agreed to do it for the same reason. She liked the idea of her boys seeing her as a pop star, rather than as a mum and a footballer’s wife.Most of us aren’t in quite the same position as those two, but I guess it’s a little like keeping a smokin’ hot dress in the wardrobe in order to show our children the person we used to be before we lived in a pair of old jeans. Although Williams’ Queen’s Championships was cut short after her doubles partner injured her knee, I’m sure we’ll be seeing her again very soonJohn Healey, one of a few good menJohn Healey’s resignation as Defence Secretary over Keir Starmer’s derisory increase in defence spending is a rare example of a good man doing the right thing in politics.He may have lost his Cabinet perks but he has shown that there are people – not many, but some – who put the wellbeing of their country before their own desperation to cling on to their high-status job.Breakfast is served... in Gwynnie PJsOne of my guilty pleasures is watching Gwyneth Paltrow on Instagram cook an incredibly elaborate ‘boyfriend breakfast’. For this enterprise, she often wears a pair of short pyjamas.She recently wore the same style in an ad for an Israeli estate agency. I don’t wildly care about the controversy surrounding Gwyneth’s support for Israel – I’m more interested in the pyjamas.Because, sad but true, those videos influenced me to buy a short pair myself. Not from her fashion line Gwyn, but from Sainsbury’s. It has a great collection so you can channel your inner Gwynnie for a fraction of the price.Cooking breakfast for your loved one not included. Nor actually looking like the gorgeous actress. One of my guilty pleasures is watching Gwyneth Paltrow on Instagram cook an incredibly elaborate ‘boyfriend breakfast’Taylor’s a better bet than EnglandIt's not just the World Cup that’s fuelling our gambling obsession. The rise of prediction betting sites like Polymarket and Kalshi reflect the gamblification of the world.On Kalshi, two million dollars have been placed on every aspect of Taylor Swift’s upcoming wedding to Travis Kelce, including the location, the guest list and whether or not the bride is pregnant. It’s a crazy waste of money, but probably harmless, and a bet on Taylor’s wedding venue is sadly more likely to pay out than the current odds of 7-1 for an England win.Dancing Bernard is a joy to beholdAt the age of 100, Bernard Gilbert has become an internet sensation after a video of his elegant dancing at his Worcestershire care home was viewed 1.5million times. It’s a joy to watch his rhythmic shimmer and a reminder that dancing is one of life’s great pleasures that almost all of us can share regardless of our age – and it costs absolutely nothing.