nigegilb -nor would I or most people have any problem with that but I was just making the point that it is not always so simple (BTW champange perhaps ought to be consumed sometimes to mark the extraordinary achievments). The rules are in place and even if we do not agree with them we have to work by them. It seems to me that in the instance cited above it was a bit of stupidity on someone's part that the rules were not fully and clearly explained BEFORE the arrangements were made. Perhaps the miscreant whose job it was to look after such matters should be made to pay but that does not happen in the real world of "public service" does it?