“Face fungus” is all the rage.

A century and a half ago, when I first grew a beard, (actually it’s only been five decades or so)   it drew caustic remarks and goat-like bleats.

Today the bleats have been replaced with  boasts, and prestigious “Glamour” magazine reveals what I have always maintained…that facial hair (for men at least) is a hot,hot, hot item. It seems that 80,000 readers  have voted that of their “100 sexiest men for 2017”, no fewer that 63 have thrown the razor away.

My beard’s life would be two years longer if it hadn’t been for Britain’s National Service. There is only one person in the Queen’s Army who can eschew the use of a razor, some sort of “Pioneer” wallah, and he didn’t fancy being supplanted by a mere Private.