It’s time to lay down ground rules for our Insta snaps: ALEXANDRA SHULMAN’S NOTEBOOK

Six years ago, while staying with a friend, I posted a bikini selfie online and the image went viral.

Shock horror! The middle-aged former editor of Vogue is willing to flaunt a less-than-skinny body, the gist of it seemed.

Last week I was back with the same host, who reminded me of that occasion and how he had spent his life determined to be a very private person, but suddenly the furnishings of one of his guest rooms were commentable everywhere. internet.

In our Instagram era, it’s very tempting to post about holidays. The sunsets, the pools, the cocktails, the views and of course the company.

But not everyone wants to play the game.

Is it acceptable to distribute photos of someone else’s beautiful garden or rustic kitchen? Does your host mind if you share his choice of bathroom tiles with the world?

And what about your fellow vacationers?

Does a group photo of a relaxed lunch at a long table in the garden infringe on the gathering’s right to privacy?

Should you ask everyone before sharing an image of them?

Vacation snaps, which we’re off duty and hopefully enjoying, are generally more picturesque than shots of everyday life.

A family trip to a strange city may involve recalcitrant teens refusing to leave the hotel, but usually an ice cream cone in an attractive square makes it “Insta-worthy.”

A group of friends sharing a home creates moments where it seems like everyone is having a great time that can be shared with those back home.

Instagram does not record the exciting moment in the supermarket about the price of wine to load into the cart.

Now that Instagram has invaded our privacy, it’s probably wise to work out some ground rules about who can post what before the first dip in the pool.

Lionesses have so much to be proud of

Not only have the Lionesses brought a whole new level of attention to previously underrated women’s football, but they’ve also brought attention to another inequality in the sport.

Many members of the England team are happy to be known for same-sex relationships.

Defender Jess Carter’s girlfriend is her Chelsea teammate Ann-Katrin Berger; Rachel Daly is in a relationship with co-star Millie Turner; Beth England is dating Welsh international Stephanie Williams. Compare this to the attitude towards gay male football players: there is none of the same acceptance.

Also, while we happily follow the Wags’ antics in the male game, the lionesses’ husbands and boyfriends keep a low profile.

It is definitely time for male football players to be given the same level of honesty about homosexuality as in women’s football.

Fascinated by a few domestic truths

A new book, aptly named After Work – A History Of The Home And Fight For Free Time, shows how technological advances have failed to increase free time.

The authors’ argument is that while washing machines and dryers take the chores out of our hands, we have simply replaced the time gained.

For example, as a child, tea was often a can of baked beans or spaghetti rings. In most middle-class homes, such food would now be seen as nutrient deficient.

The book says that in our quest for household perfection, we have merely replaced one list of time-consuming chores with another.

I am always fascinated by the details of other people’s domestic lives. Does everyone change sheets once a week? Do other female partners need a fresh shirt every day?

And – big question – is washing up by hand faster than loading and unloading the dishwasher? Such issues may seem trivial, but they are crucial indicators of our lives.

Making time is their common denominator – and without time we are nothing.

The mothers travel through Nappy Valley

Another big question: When did new mothers first become pack mules? Each trip to the local park seems to include as much equipment as is needed for a two-week expedition to the Rockies. I’m sure in the old days a clean diaper, clean clothes and a bottle would do the trick.

Mint making menopause

I’m bored that every evil in the world is blamed on Brexit (horrible mistake if it was), but not as enraged as I am by the way menopause is blamed for almost every ailment. Menopause is now the buzzword for any problem a woman can have between the ages of 40 and 70. As a result, it has become a new cash cow. It is no longer enough to buy something to settle your stomach. Instead, we’re tricked into thinking we need a solution to menopausal gut issues. Soon there will be dishwashing detergents for menopause. I can not wait.

Courteous Kim is not a flash in the pan

Kim Kardashian is the face of fashion designer Marc Jacobs’ new campaign. There she is, brandishing his mega-selling tote bag, bundled up in his traditional oversized shapes and polka dots.

When she first appeared on the scene, I thought she would just be a flypast, a momentary glimpse into the celebrity universe. Instead, she’s been at the top of her game for 15 years, has broken away from her reality star image and is now a big name in luxury fashion and owns her best-selling Skims underwear.

I expected Kim, below, to be spoiled and difficult, but when I met her a few years ago, she was extremely pleasant. Very talkative, easygoing and polite.

“Good manners,” Mama always told us, “will get you far.”

A grades for the Claridge’s bar boys

My new measure of aging isn’t cops getting younger, but bartenders.

Sitting at Claridge’s hotel recently, a trio of bartenders all looked as if they could wait for their A-level results. However, their skills on the dry martini front were impeccable.