A private party in fine style? There’s nothing quite like a French Château…

Marking milestone birthdays or anniversaries can be tricky. Or course you want to celebrate with friends. But having your own house and garden trampled under muddy feet may not appeal and a big-city « venue » may seem a bit impersonal. So why not go for a Château? France as plenty of them.  The wonderfully named Château Bouffémont – strawberries-and-cream, part Disney, part Kubrick has lately emerged from a complete refurb and is designed for private parties. It sleeps up to 27 and the hotel-source crack team encourage you to treat it entirely as your home. All manner of  activities are on hand-aquatic, equestrian, you name it – either in the grounds or right next door, to keep your guests happily occupied. Everything can be included , so no one has to see a price list. Convenient? Très. The Château is 30 minutes from Charles de Gaulle airport and under an hour  from the Gare du Nord. The best thing? At the end of a long week-end, you can just wave  » Au revoir  » and someone else will do the clearing-up. James Ogilvy.