Last week The Diary told of how deal-mongering southwest outfit Bevan Brittan dragged itself into the latter half of the 20th century with a system of corkboards to keep partners clued up.

By embracing such modern innovations, however, the firm risks losing the quaint charm that endears it to US tourists, many of whom still believe most ordinary Brits live in castles as if they were all Slaughter and May partners.