Dear Mary

Dear Mary: Should I admit to being a Donald Trump supporter?

8 February 2025 9:00 am

Q. This may sound ridiculous but I have an issue with the Big Issue seller near me. I am in…

Dear Mary: How do I ensure that splitting the bill is fair?

18 January 2025 9:00 am

Q. A Belgian couple (a baron and baroness, no less) are regular visitors to the Highlands and I have come…

Dear Mary: should I tell people I’m WFB (Working from Barbados)?

11 January 2025 9:00 am

Q. We live in a harmonious and social community in Berkshire and early last year our fun-loving neighbours invited us…

Dear Mary: Can I regift an unwanted tin of sweets?

4 January 2025 9:00 am

Q. A kind villager gave us a jolly circular tin of sweets for Christmas. We are both overweight and would…

Dear Mary, from Michael Caine: Should cricketers be paid like footballers?

14 December 2024 9:00 am

From Tina Brown Q. I have been dogged all my career as ‘the Queen of Buzz’, which makes people assume…

Dear Mary: How do I avoid my friend’s gropey partner?

7 December 2024 9:00 am

Q. I have a dear friend who is in a newish relationship. The partner – whom I hardly know –…

Dear Mary: How do I stop my neighbour sending WhatsApp messages IN CAPITALS?

30 November 2024 9:00 am

Q. My husband has a stressful job and needs to quietly decompress at the end of the week. This is…

Dear Mary: How can I avoid a lunge on a date?

23 November 2024 9:00 am

Q. I have been working in London as a receptionist in a private members’ club and consequently have had the…

Dear Mary: How can I say no to charities I don’t want to support?

16 November 2024 9:00 am

Q. My wife worked in the picture department of a very reputable auction house but has now taken to retirement…

Dear Mary: How can we get our messy little boys excused from formal lunches?

9 November 2024 9:00 am

Q. To my surprise I have been asked to give a eulogy at the funeral of someone I knew only…

Dear Mary: How do I stop my boss sending me rambling voice notes?

2 November 2024 9:00 am

Q. I am a concierge for a high-net-worth individual. She likes to communicate with me mainly via WhatsApp voice messages…

Dear Mary: How do I stop my friend’s banal WhatsApp messages?

26 October 2024 9:00 am

Q. I have a very dear friend who lives in Scotland, so we rarely see each other. Before the internet…

Dear Mary: how can I stop guests waking too early?

12 October 2024 9:00 am

Q. I meet a very old and dear friend for lunch on a regular basis. We meet at a lovely…

Dear Mary: Should you flush the loo in the night when staying with friends?

21 September 2024 9:00 am

Q. We live in an area with no mobile reception and trying to get hold of taxis for guests leaving…

Dear Mary: How do I shake off charity collectors?

7 September 2024 9:00 am

Q. A friend, who I love dearly and who comes to stay a lot, has always been unforthcoming with gifts.…

Dear Mary: How do I avoid my neighbours on holiday?

31 August 2024 9:00 am

Q. We have some neighbours who we don’t mind at all – they are perfectly nice, just not part of…

Dear Mary: how do I hide my pregnancy from my boozy friends?

24 August 2024 9:00 am

Q. We love having friends to stay at our house in Cornwall. One particular guest has the habit of arriving…

Dear Mary: how can I deter the creep at my pub quiz?

17 August 2024 9:00 am

Q. I have been pitched into a social dilemma regarding Glyndebourne, which I live near to but don’t go to…

Dear Mary: how do I set up two young people?

10 August 2024 9:00 am

Q. I have invited some younger friends to stay with me at a family house in Spain. Among the party…