Regrettably, albeit exclusively, it falls upon The Diary to reveal that the most famous moustache in UK law – the luxurious soup-strainer of Wragge & Co senior partner Quentin Poole – has been consigned to the great barber shop in the sky, alongside the facial hair of other testosterone-charged icons such as Magnum PI and Yosemite Sam.

Whether his managerial potency will now dissipate, Samson-style, remains to be seen.

Insiders deny that the move was a cost-cutting measure designed to curb partners' expenditure on Clubman's Moustache Wax, while Poole himself instead attributes the change to a 'Eureka!' moment of Archimedean inspiration.

"I woke up one day," he told The Diary with admirable candour, "and thought 'What on earth is that on my face?'."

The Diary has had moments like that, most recently involving one over-enthusiastic law firm PR.

Meanwhile, Wragges' City contingent will be hoping Poole doesn't wake up one morning thinking 'What on earth is that London office doing on my firm?'.