While many attribute Hammonds' stunning recovery to become the UK's second most profitable national firm beginning with an 'H' to the messianic leadership of managing partner Peter Crossley, the real answer lies in the unrelenting hard graft of its few remaining partners.

Indeed, the firm's recovery plan, which is understood to have taken at least an hour to draw up, recommends a return to the 22-hour working day and features guidelines on how to beat the most out of your assistant.

Never one to shy away from a bit of hard yakka, nononsense corporate partner David Hull captured the mood by bringing in the bacon even while on his recent honeymoon.

The Birmingham warhorse apparently spent much of his first week of marital bliss with his nose over his BlackBerry, having landed a role on the takeover of perennial Premiership also-rans Aston Villa by brilliantly-named US tycoon Randy Lerner.

Presumably that was not the type of 'holiday villa' Hull's spouse had in mind for a honeymoon when the old romantic got down on one knee to propose.