I hope people don't think I take the idea of what's Ivy and what's not too seriously, by the way. That said, I am working on a 10,000 article league table with - naturally - Brooks #1 sack at the top and gold Surgical appliance shellsuit at the bottom.

Two threads are better than one, so they tell me.

John Simons own brand shetland knits are curious beasts.

I have a few of their Odie made finer shetlands that every year go to my local tailor as the bottom of the knits come unstitched.

Why, you fool, have you a few if the quality isn't up to snuff I hear murmured from the gallery.

Quite simply it's the colour ways. Having hunted high and low the two tone colours that used to be available at Chiltern Street were, by far, the most interesting. A blue with a hint of  purple, a peacock green with a subtle hint of blue, a deep rich navy - all stunning.

Yes, you can pick up cheaper. Yes, you can get sturdier but sometimes it's all about the sheer pleasure.

In many ways it's like a dating a red head. Wrong on so many levels but still highly pleasurable.