Hats off to members of the new South Essex Junior Lawyers Division, who completed a gruelling 60-mile bike ride from London to Southend last week. The trainee solicitors raised more than £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation, managing to cross the finish line despite one of the team, Ausilia Matraxia, having a close encounter with a ditch. Pictured left to right are Joanna Powell, Anne-Marie Rainsford, Sarah Law and Paul Markham, all from Chelmsford and Southend firm BTMK. A team from Essex firm Palmers also took part. Further donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/southessexjld.

Meanwhile, Obiter regrets to report that no lawyers finished in the top ten in last week’s 5km Standard Chartered City Race, despite this column’s cheerleading. The fastest legal team was Linklaters, followed by Career Legal and Slaughter and May.