Given that ‘hoodies’ are now viewed by the Big Brother State as the single most important contributory factor in juvenile crime, us Old Gregorians have raised a wry smile – having been educated Benedictine monks, all of whom wore hoods, some of whom should definitely have been banned. The debate about this monastic attire has been continuing in the letters page of the Daily Telegraph, with current pupils such as Ed Rogers thinking that;

"Sir - Here at Downside, a Benedictine school run by monks, some of our teachers wear hoodies. As a pupil there I can vouch that hoodies are still cool."

Where as old boys such as Dominic Weston Smith commented;

"Sir - The Benedictine monks at Downside (Letters, May 26) were certainly keen on their hoodies when I was there. They were valued for their warmth in winter and coolness in summer. In some of their more candid moments, monks would also admit that they provided excellent cover for a quick nap during Vespers or a quiet smoke in the monastery gardens."

As for Family Free Market, to order to comply with Nanny Nu Labour dress regulations, our nippers, under threat of ABSOs, will no longer be attired thus