Letter: Out to lunch

Sir: My heart goes out to those heroic women who, according to a survey, spend five and a half hours preparing Sunday lunch ("Pubs and restaurants break records for Christmas lunch", 7 January).

What is it, exactly, that takes so long to cook? Since five and a half hours is allegedly the average, there are presumably some women who are still preparing lunch at teatime. In that case, what did their families eat for lunch and who cooked it?

D A POTTS

Oxford