With some trepidation, Obiter announces a new holder of our secs appeal award for longest-serving legal secretary. Yvonne Drake began working as a legal secretary in January 1948 and, now a sprightly 77, is still working at Hampshire firm Footners. That’s 61 years and one month, a record that bumps Pauline Austin of Staffordshire firm Pickering & Butters into second place with 60 years.

Anna Harrison also makes a bid for glory, having clocked up 39 years and six months so far working for solicitor John Moore at another Hampshire firm, Dixon & Templeton. Apparently, she tells Moore: ‘I have loved every minute of it’.

A sterling effort, Obiter says, but not quite up to third-placed Lynn Bochonek, who has worked for Yorkshire firm Nigel Ward & Co since July 1968 – 40 years, seven months and counting.

Can anyone, centenarian or slip of a gal, beat that?