Bare essentials at opening ceremony

There is usually a ghoulish fascination to be had in the opening festivities at international legal events, which make even Olympic opening ceremonies look like the height of entertainment.

An American Bar Association conference a few years back leads the way in this field with the inspired decision to have people singing the US constitution (at least the UK's unwritten constitution means that such an appalling event couldn't happen at the annual Solicitors Conference).

But the International Bar Association biennial conference in Durban kicked off this week with a surprisingly enjoyable show which blended all the different aspects of the African world in a melange of music, dance and singing.

But many of the predominantly male delegates then got a rather surprising display of African openness, as both male and female singers and dancers at the welcoming party afterwards pranced around happily with nothing more than loin cloths by way of cover.

European sensitivities were somewhat shaken, it's fair to say, but there did seem to be general approval at the first night's fare.