In the drink:

It may have taken 140 miles of paddling through driving rain, 180 canal locks, camping in car parks and church halls, and 80 hours in total to complete, but Matthew Robbins of Southampton firm Abels (at the rear of the boat) made it to the Solicitors Annual Conference in Birmingham last month, raising more than 5,700 for the Solicitors Benevolent Association.

He had the help of a couple of co-paddlers for some of the course, together with towpath cyclists - including SBA chairman John Griffin - as well as the hospitality of several narrow-boat and pub owners along the banks of the Grand Union Canal.

On arriving at the International Conference Centre, he was greeted by Law Society President David McIntosh, where a Society senior official apparently offered Mr Robbins a hefty donation to his cause if he would pull his national head into the drink.

Sadly, Mr McIntosh - a hard-nosed litigator of many years' standing - got wind of the suggestion, and, according to Mr Robbins, 'gave me a stern warning about my future in the profession' were he to give into temptation.

Mr McIntosh stayed dry.