It's Sir David acting

AN invitation arrives from the Hongkong Academy for Performing Arts for its graduation rites on July 1 at the Lyric Theatre.

The great and the good (and others like yours truly) invited to the ceremony are requested to be ''seated before the arrival of His Honour, Deputy to the Governor, Sir David Ford, KBE, LVO, JP, Acting President of the Academy''.

Deputy? Acting? We have a modicum of sympathy for the likeable Sir David - increasingly allotted the role of, er . . . the bridesmaid but never the bride.

We are also informed that Sir David ''will present the award of Fellowship to Mr Fou Ts'ong (absent)''.

Ye Gods! And now he's expected to perform miracles as well.