The Order of the Soft Sofa
and Idle Conversation

The Order is a small and entirely private society of persons who share a single conviction: that a good conversation should never be spoiled by arriving anywhere. Its members meet on sofas, over tea, at hours when they are supposed to be somewhere else, and there they discuss matters of the greatest importance until the importance wears off.

The Order has no aims, no budget and no plans to acquire either. It does keep a coat of arms, a short code of customs and a roll of officers whose titles are considerably grander than their duties. These, together with an account of how the whole thing began, are set out on the pages that follow.

Membership is by invitation. The Order does not advertise, does not recruit and, on the rare occasions it has been asked to explain itself, has preferred to change the subject.