Looking back, some of the happiest moments of my childhood were spent with my arm in packets of breakfast cereal, rootling around for a free gift.
Somewhere in the back of their minds, hosts and guests alike know that the dinner party is a source of untold irritation, and that even the dullest evening spent watching television is preferable.
The weather was okay, the spending data suggests that people still went out and spent so I'm not too concerned at this stage. I would be surprised if margins had significantly deteriorated.