Malfest organiser Diana Mather is certainly making a huge success of helping people mind their Ps and Qs.

For the past 10 years, former BBC newsreader Diana, who lives in Hampton Green, Malpas , has been travelling the world giving etiquette lessons and teaching people the correct protocol and communication.

Specially trained in etiquette and media coaching, when she isn’t busy arranging the village’s yearly Arts and Literature Festival, Diana is now regularly travelling to places as far-flung as India, Russia and Africa as part of her work with The English Manner, a national etiquette company.

Whether it is teaching them how to use cutlery correctly, or how to address a crowd, Diana has even coached MPs and TV presenters on the best ways to speak in public.

She said: “We also have partners in China, India, Nigeria, USA, Australia, Kenya and Malta and our work with clients in the UK including lawyers as well as corporate organisations and individuals.

Diana teaching tea etiquette in China

“What our courses at The English Manner sell is confidence – whether it is to speak in public, entertain your friends or your boss or go for a job interview. I have published nine books so far, the latest of which, ’The Secrets of Confident Communicators – 50 Ways to be Heard’, covers a lot of what we do.”

Diana added: “One of the things we have a problem with worldwide is mobile phones! The Chinese and Indians have to take a picture of everything, especially food – so getting them to leave their phones in their pockets or handbags during meals is sometimes an uphill struggle! “It seems that young people are losing the ability to read body language because they often don’t give full attention as they are too busy texting someone else.”