ONE NIGHT IN RUTSHIRE: Our Inaugural Sex in the Country Book Club

Jodhpurs, shoulder pads, scandal, steak frites and — for some — a suspicious amount of Prosecco. Our first Sex in the Country supper was never going to be a quiet one.

For our inaugural gathering, we chose the undisputed queen of the bonkbuster, Jilly Cooper. The book was Rivals. The year, notionally, 1986. And for one evening, the beautiful Lavender Room at The Lion in Wendlebury became our own little corner of Rutshire.

Everyone understood the assignment — magnificently.

Our organiser Laura, a genuine equestrian, looked effortlessly elegant in jodhpurs and pearls, having transformed the table with Rivals novels, rosettes and riding hats. Bella, equally at home in the saddle, brought effortless equestrian glamour — looking as though Rutshire might genuinely be her natural habitat.

The rest of us interpreted 1986 rather more freely. Our other Laura delivered the fashion moment of the evening in a fabulous Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra.

Clare and Sue brought polished Eighties power dressing, while Simone and Virginia, down from Surrey, arrived looking every inch ready for a glamorous night in Rutshire.

Mandy looked gorgeous in pink alongside cousin Lauren, who embraced the glamour completely — accompanied, naturally for Lauren, by a gloriously enormous Gucci bag.

As captain of Venturer, I decided heeled boots were an entirely acceptable interpretation of equestrian chic before changing into a sequinned jumpsuit. My best Venturer.

And then Anna arrived with a puppy. Tiny, beautifully behaved and immediately adored, promptly stealing the show. After all, could we really have hosted a Jilly Cooper evening without a dog making an appearance?

Then battle commenced: Corinium v Venturer, fighting for the coveted television franchise through Jilly Cooper, Eighties nostalgia, sex and scandal. Anna and Lauren proved impressively knowledgeable about Rutshire, while the Confessional Bowl revealed rather more than any conventional book club might reasonably expect.

Were the confessions true?

We couldn’t possibly say. What happens in Rutshire stays in Rutshire!

Despite being outnumbered by my Venturer team, Laura led Corinium to victory and retained the franchise.All of this unfolded over a fabulous dinner.

The Lion was the perfect host. The Lavender Room was intimate and beautiful, the food excellent and the service warm, attentive and wonderfully discreet. Particular compliments to the chef and kitchen team for the delicious steak frites. And a special mention to the male members of staff who repeatedly entered a room full of women discussing Jilly Cooper, sex, scandal and anonymous confessions. True professionals.

For those still standing later, there was one final act. Simone stole the show with a fabulous Proud Mary before Virginia called for Dolly Parton and commandeered the microphone. Soon Virginia and I were singing, Simone and Sue were formation dancing, and Mandy and Lauren had joined the backing vocals for Islands in the Stream. There was Jolene. There was dancing. There was singing. And there was definitely more Prosecco.

But the loveliest part was seeing women who had arrived as friends, cousins, acquaintances and school mums — and some barely knowing one another at all — laughing together around the same table by the end.

And that is exactly what we hoped Sex in the Country would be: an excuse to put something fabulous on, gather around a beautiful table, eat wonderful food, meet interesting women, laugh out loud and escape real life for an evening.

A huge thank you to The Lion for embracing the concept and looking after us so beautifully — to the wonderful front-of-house team, the brilliant kitchen team and especially Dot, who helped us set everything up. And most of all, thank you to every woman who came, dressed up and threw herself into our first night in Rutshire.

Secrets were revealed. A puppy stole hearts. A franchise was won. Friendships were made. Dolly was sung. And somewhere, we rather hope, Jilly would have thoroughly approved.

If you’d like to join us for our next Sex in the Country Book Club, make sure you sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear!

Carly x