Obiter had to check the calendar last week on receiving an email announcing the launch of a ‘revolutionary’ new product created by Scottish solicitor Chris Gibson: the ‘SuperTie’.

The ‘guaranteed perfect necktie’ combines ‘the innovation­ of a zipper mechanism’ with ‘Scottish values of high quality’.

No, it was not 1 April, and the zip-up tie did not appear to be a wind up. Indeed, the makers even managed to give the product a celebrity angle when, while touting the attire during the Edinburgh festival, they ‘bumped into’ actor Clarke Peters (aka Detective Lester Freamon from The Wire, pictured) and he agreed to let them take a picture of him brandishing the tie, now proudly featured on supertie.com.

Gibson, who formerly worked for national firm HBJ Gateley Wareing, claims the product is ‘man’s new best friend’.

But it’s fair to say that pooches across the nation probably don’t need to worry too much about losing their pre-eminence.