I have lined up the russets, wondrous in their crunch, the foxy Coxs, the carrots – knobbly – and the bananas. All of them perfect, earthly gifts distributed during the feeding of the five thousand. It was a Biblical act, a water-coloured wintry vision in Trafalgar Square – part West Country festival, part Regency splendour as the skies unloaded their first Christmas snow onto a lunchtime mob of far more than 5,000 believers.

Between January and April next year, weary shoppers will be able to slip away from the hustle and bustle of the West End sales and enjoy the quiet refinement of afternoon tea with a twist at Palm Court, which is located at the top of Regent Street, at the newly refurbished Langham, London.

Having been invited to a Gordon Ramsay place for something to eat and to drink, well you go, don’t you? We were asked along to The Warrington for a pie and a pint and a look around after some work had been done on the place. It is hard to say whether The Warrington is unique but I would hazard a guess that because of the way it has been developed over its 150 years, it probably is.

Having never been to a Thanksgiving celebration before, it seemed like a good idea to go along to Babylon to experience theirs, which we had heralded here on site a few weeks ago. Apart from Babylon’s normal menu, Head Chef Ian Howard had added an American themed special for each course in honour of the occasion.

In the swish ‘Poggenpohl’ kitchens of Harrods, I meet the very lovely Pinky Lilani OBE who is hosting an intimate cookery master class featuring dishes from her latest book ‘Coriander… makes the difference” Featuring a selection of Pinky’s favourite recipes using coriander as well as some charming words of wisdom from 40 of Pinky’s friends and colleagues, the book is billed as ‘Wisdom and recipes to feed your soul and warm your heart”.

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning one of four packs to help you host the perfect dinner party, go to our competitions page and enter our After Eight competition.

Douglas Blyde attends the launch party of Marianne Lumb’s ‘Knife Skills’ book at London’s premier cheesemonger, ‘La Fromagerie’

Gordon Ramsay launches his new book Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen (The F Word) high up above London in Centrepoint. Sabrina Ghayour is whisked up in a lift to be encouraged to catch a glimpse of the England’s Greatest Living Chef and to join the crowd of beautiful people in worship at his altar.

Restaurants often lay claim to being the oldest something or other. Bizarre – as I increasingly slip into that category I’m not going to shout about it. This fortnight, I’ve been to London’s oldest Hungarian, the earliest French, and now, Zia Teresa, the first to plant its boot shape into the city’s culinary foundations.

We were invited to the press evening for the launch of this Japanese food outlet at Whole Foods Market in Kensington, on the first floor of the old Barkers building. Whether alone, which in this environment would feel perfectly natural, or in a group, it is a novel and interesting way to eat.