The Young Solicitors Group (YSG) ball is always a lively affair and this year was no exception. The event at the Savoy was themed as a Night at the Oscars, with the 230 guests enjoying a Hollywood-style entrance, courtesy of a rent-a-crowd provided by east London amateur dramatics group the Woodhouse Players. The team of excited, faux autograph hunters was accompanied by a group of official paparazzi photographers.

The raffle's prizes included a cocktail dress provided by Stella McCartney and two upper class tickets to Hollywood with Virgin Atlantic, donated by Sir Richard Branson. The event raised a tidy sum, allowing YSG chairman Keith Etherington to hand a cheque over to the Institute of Cancer Research's Rachel Castle.


But not everyone went away happy, it would seem, as the Gazette received the following communication in the aftermath.


'I expected the YSG ball to be a civilised affair full of young people who were solicitors,' the author wrote. 'The majority on my table were certainly not under 35 or practising law. Dinner- table discussion was inappropriate and table manners were non-existent. 


'The real young solicitors were well dressed, well behaved, and appeared to be the only ones who had actually paid the £75 ticket price from their own pocket. At what age does etiquette go out the window, and is this what I have to look forward to?'


Oh dear.