Some 40 plus years ago, I stayed at the Malta Hilton. Going for dinner with my two sons we were refused entrance to the dining room because we were not wearing jackets and ties.

My next stay at the Malta Hilton was last weekend. For dinner, I wore long trousers and an open-necked dress shirt, only to find I was well overdressed.

The dining room was full of diners in shorts, T-shirts and plastic flip-flops. Some men were wearing baseball caps and one lady was dining in a swimsuit with wet hair. The cuisine was of a standard to match the attire of the diners.