the brits (and hte aussies I guess) are taught to eat w/ the fork upside down like your mum was saying. the spoon or knife are used to hold the food onto the fork (or so my camp councelors told me). us americans shovel it in
we dont' generally cut our WHOLE plate first, but I'll cut a few piecs, put my knife down, and eat what I have ,via stabs or scoops ,then snag the knife to cut a bit more. that's personal preference, though. I always cut & fork w/ the left hand (I'm a lefty) and swap back and forth as needed 'cuz I'm just not coordenated enough to get food into my mouth w/ my right hand. oye, what a mess that would cause!