Lai See | If I scream and you scream, you might get chocolate ice cream

Readers may recall our recent piece on Singapore Airlines and strawberry ice cream. This was about a woman on a Singapore Airlines flight who when offered strawberry ice cream asked if she could have either chocolate or vanilla, since she wasn't keen on the strawberry option. The steward replied: "Sorry, madam, no chocolate or vanilla, as everyone always asks for it as they don't like strawberry. So now we only offer strawberry."

We have since heard from the airline, which has thanked us for the feedback but points out that on occasions the airline does offer chocolate or vanilla, though only one option at a time. So you just have to hope you get lucky that your preference is on offer the day you fly. However, we understand the matter has been drawn to the attention of the airline's inflight services department, so it is possible that passengers may get a choice in future.

This event reminds us of a situation we read of recently which supposedly occurred in London during the 1980s. When the owner of a corner shop was asked by a customer for a brand of biscuits he liked, the owner replied: "We used to keep them, but we kept running out, so we discontinued them."

Can Antony Jenkins build a better Barclays is, some may say, rather like asking whether a leopard can change its spots.