It is lovely to meet up with good friends for drinks or a meal, but somehow adding a card game into the mix, makes it an easy and relaxed evening.

This autumn has been particularly wonderful and now with the dark evenings, it is very conducive to lighting a fire, plumping up the cushions, cooking something delicious and warming and spending the evening at home with friends.

In our particular little group of four, we have, over the years established a routine: we take it in turns to meet at each others’ houses. I love the fact that we all know each other so well, there is none of that slightly frantic last minute rushing about tidying you do when guests are coming for dinner!

We have supper fairly promptly and then settle down with coffee and chocolates to play cards – and for us that means bridge. That extraordinary game which is never the same twice, there is always something new to learn and uses the little grey cells.

Our bridge playing is extremely laid back; we play (sitting in happy, companionable silence), we chat – discuss life, problems, politics, what to watch on t.v. and carry on playing cards.

At the end of the evening, our friendships have strengthened, life has been put into perspective and problems chatted through.

I can’t think of another, more perfect way to spend an evening with good girlfriends – and knowing that the next planned get together is in the diary.

My English version of ‘hygge’.