Children are getting ruder - I asked an expert to teach mine better manners

In the grand scheme of things, the lack of a “please” isn’t one of the world’s biggest problems, and kindness is more important than an automatic “thank you”. But when I’ve stood up from the table eight times during a meal to grab condiments and fulfill milk requests, it makes a huge difference to feel appreciated. As I tell my children , it oils the wheels and makes my waitressing service more gracious.

So I was delighted to learn that manners are being given the Miss Rachel treatment by Californian-born Myka Meier, a 43-year-old mother of two living on the outskirts of London. She learnt her trade from Swiss finishing school, and from Alexandra Messervy, who also taught Diana, Princess of Wales. Now she’s taking to YouTube, accompanied by two puppets, to try to stop standards from