Mussels served cold

Last night I went to see my parents. I was late arriving there so very sadly I had missed their dinner of mussels (to start) then dover sole, but my saintly mother had kept back a big bowl of mussels for my boyfriend and me to share, and a good chunk of a soft, large, white baguette. People often say to me that you shouldn't eat mussels cold - what on earth are they thinking? It is just a misguided worry about the perils of eating shellfish? Admittedly they're at their best served as soon as they're cooked, in a steaming broth in to which you can dip your bread and soak up the fishy, garlicky juices, but served cold the flavour develop and they are delcious in their own way. We had mussels bought from a seaside fishmonger's that morning (he said they were Shetland mussels - they may not have been local but at least they're British), straight out the shell with thickly buttered (lurpak, of course) bread and a lovely glass of pouilly-fumé. Don't they look nice? Mmmm, it's nice to come home.