My notion of sideboard comes from the one in my parents' home: it is far taller and narrower than a table. It is taller than yer average human bean, in fact. We use the top for storing board games; there are two cupboards, one at either end, and one holds tankards (beer mugs) and t'other holds booze (but is not a tantalus - though there is a lock, I don't remember it ever being used! and there's no glass in the door); there is a small cavity above either cupboard, and shelves between cupboards and cavities, and these, in our family, have traditionally held knick-knacks and books. On a level with the bottom of the cupboards and the bottom shelf, is a narrow, protruding shelf, probably not even a foot deep - probably the place serving dishes with food in were usually set, but again, in my family, used for knick-knacks and books. Beneath this there are three drawers; we use these for silverware and other cutlery, and placemats and tablecloths. Beneath the drawers, the legs of the sideboard go down to the ground and enclose a kind of "nothing" space, which I used to enjoy crawling in and making hidey-holes of (with blankets stuck in the drawers so they hung down in a concealing manner!) when I was little. Now we keep things like a box of video tapes, a magazine rack, and Mum's sewing machine, under there. The sideboard actually has six legs, I think I'm remembering correctly - and a railing running around the bottom, touching each leg. It is a monster of a piece of furniture, that's fer shure.

Let us go in peace to love and serve the board.