Lawyers of a certain age - that is to say, somewhere in their thirties - will have no trouble recognising the chap on the right in this delightfully cheesy pic. Yes, it is none other than 'Neighbours' star Harold Bishop (aka actor Ian Smith), former husband of Madge and general twittering buffoon (Harold, that is. Not the actor himself). Harold is seen here with a very excited Basil Preuveneers, Law Society Council member for Croydon and North Kent, and a keen brass player.


Mr Preuveneers was one of about 400 ?volunteers all playing the 'Neighbours' theme tune on their trombones and tubas in Trafalgar Square last week, in a publicity stunt organised by television channel Five to 'trumpet' the fact that it has nicked the Aussie soap from the BBC. Mr Preuveneers managed to get himself snapped with the tuba-playing soap star, and also found himself interviewed on Australian television. He was probably singled out because he had two koalas attached to his trumpet bearing the slogan: 'Harold, your playing is hard two bear.'



Any readers assuming that our brassy solicitor is too long in the tooth to be a genuine 'Neighbours' fan must think again. He confessed to Obiter that he catches the soap every day. 'I have a shed at the back of the office and I go in there every lunch time for a sleep', he says. 'As soon as I hear the theme tune I'm asleep. Then I wake up again with the end theme tune.'



So was it a rousing rendition of 'everybody needs good neighbours'? Apparently so. The good thing about playing with several other people, Mr Preuveneers says, 'is that you're always in tune with somebody'.