Consignment box

They hoped by careful choosing of the name, their young one could be equally respected whatever language its customers spoke.

Sadly for the parents, it never quite managed even to stroll along a High Street without encountering hoots of derision. This badly knocked its confidence and even began to make people think that the parents had "lost it".

Friends will have wondered if its fate had somehow been foreseen when, earlier this year, its new boss told a newspaper: "Would I like to change the name? Yes I would."

Ill-health has also stricken other members of the family, notably Parcelforce, although the nature of the illness is very different.

Although never widely popular, Consignia was a fully fledged member of a community which includes fellow members Diageo, Accenture, Corus, Innogy, Amicus, and Centrica, all of whom feel that in their modern style and outlook they are representing the spirit of the age.

They will no doubt be hoping that the demise of Consignia does not indicate that the times have changed.

No flowers.