The women of Stamford Hill are generally pretty soberly dressed so I wondered what lay behind a call from the local rabbinate this week to improve the "dress code" there.

Sellers of shoes, hats and sheitels along with beauticians were "earnestly requested" in an official notice to attend a series of special meetings this week.

Perhaps the hot weather had caused one or two female folk to shed a little of their usual covering.

But I am assured there has been no lapse in standards. It was felt that with the troubles in Israel and in the current Three Weeks (of mourning for the Temple) that this was a good time to reinforce commitment to modesty.