White move?

Times are tough even in the world of legal publishing, we are sad to report, which has manifested itself most notably in Sweet & Maxwell's work with the White Book.

In years gone by, this has proved an event that has taxed the company's marketing people to the full and ended up with (in 2001), the Physicality Theatre Group performing an animated dance piece - called 'The face' - showing that the White Book represents the 'eyes and ears' of civil procedure, and (in 1999) a faux-gift from a secret lover, containing white chocolates and an alluring promise on the gift tag that it would be 'All White on the night'.

This year, however, the launch of the White Book Service was nothing more than a bloke in a white dinner jacket fiddling away in the corner of Hammick's Bookshop on Fleet Street one lunchtime.

The theme, we are told, is an inspiring 'Singing from the same songsheet/White Book'.

The violinist, Geraint Tellem, is more usually seen playing in the production of 'Chicago'.

If only the White Book included sections such as 'How to give 'em the old razzle dazzle down the RCJ', then we're sure it would be a big seller.