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Valuable sponsorship opportunities

Mrs W was watching some absolute garbage on ITV1 tonight. The show was called Ladette to Lady and featured some common urchins who'd been sent to a posh finishing school. As per the usual reality TV format, one of the ladettes is shown the door each week, except the choice is made by a panel of severe looking headmistress types rather than by her peers. It's like Big Brother meets Strictly Come Dancing.

I won't dwell on the detail, but the girls are a little rough around the edges. Checking out the associated website, I was astonished to see a long list of prestigious sponsors. The paintings on display at Eggleston Hall - some country pile chosen for the social experiment - were delivered courtesy of Durham County Council. This seems bizarre enough, but at least you probably get to see the pictures. I'd be less confident that viewers would notice the fish utensils, sponsored by The Wheatsheaf Hotel in Swinton, Berwickshire. We'd all be too busy commenting on the fact that the finger bowls for make-up and flower arranging come from Lakeland.

Special thanks must go to The Little Shoe Shop, who kindly supplied the small shoes for daily wear and tests. And an honourable mention in dispatches to Optima Company for the picnic rugs.

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