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After 50 years, has the recipe changed for a man's dream wife?
Want to be an ideal wife? All you need to do is cook, keep quiet during the football and pay the bills on time. Sarah Freeman reports.
In an ever-changing world, it's good to know there are still a few things we can all rely on.
Technology may become outdated as soon as it's left the production line, political U-turns are part of daily life in Westminster and fads disappear as quickly as they arrive, but when it comes to knowing what they want in a wife, men have remained remarkably dependable.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Ideal Home Exhibition, organisers decided to update the 1955 Good Wife Guide by asking men to name the most important quality in the person they would spend the rest of their lives with.
These men didn't dither, they didn't bow to political correctness and 48 per cent immediately replied that what they wanted in a wife was someone who could cook.
Perhaps wary of being seen to be domestic dinosaurs, today's men, or at least 59 per cent of them, did admit to respecting a woman who stood up to them. And, wait for it ladies, two-thirds also said they appreciated those with a pretty little head for figures – not for pushing the boundaries of science,you understand – but so they could manage the family finances. Presumably, if they also happen to look like Carol Vorderman it's a bonus.
The 1955 guide, an unforgiving blueprint of how to look after the man of the house, achieved almost legendary status when it was published, advising women to plan meals the night before and warning: "Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day."
Fifty-three years on, more than half of men said they still expect to be able to go out with their friends and come home late without their partners complaining and the advice given with the straightest of faces in the 1950s that women should speak to their husbands in a low, soothing voices still apparently has a place in the 21st-century home. A third of men said they became irritated when disturbed by their partner's talking when they are watching a film or the TV and 47 per cent of these sensitive souls just can't abide messiness.
In a bid to provide some balance to the findings, the new survey, unlike the 1955 version, also asked women what they thought their partners wanted and the results provided further evidence to those who believe women are from Venus and men are from Mars.
While 24 per cent of women thought men would like them to have a good knowledge of sport, 90 per cent of men said they couldn't care less what their partner thought about the off-side rule. Contrary to popular belief, nearly two-thirds of men admitted they didn't mind being dragged round the shops on a Saturday afternoon and while 41 per cent of women said they thought they annoyed their partners with the inevitable question of "does my bum look big in this?", less than a quarter of men said they minded, and only 24 per cent said it got on their nerves.
Perhaps trying to score a few brownie points, 84 per cent of men said they did not mind pitching in with the household chores, but with 65 per cent of women saying they thought men expected household chores to be left to them, their good intentions may not have yet been put into practice.
The traditional family unit of a stay at home housewife, who when not looking after 2.2 children is busy scrubbing the front step, may be no longer recognisable to many in the 21st century, but if the Ideal Home Show survey is to believed, the rise of the New Man may have been greatly exaggerated.
The 100th Ideal Home Show opens on March 14.
How to be the perfect 1950's wife...don't forget to know your place
Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal cooked on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs.
Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking.
Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
Don't ask him about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
And finally, a good wife always knows her place.
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