It is well known that the Bar is proud of its traditions and slow to adopt change. But it would appear that sour grapes are also now part of the Bar’s armoury in the continuing battle against solicitors’ incursion into their patch.

Or at least that is the case with one senior clerk at a top commercial set who recently asked The Diary the rhetorical question: “What QC who was any good would want to go and be an employee in an advocacy department? They would be one up from the tea boy.”