Vogue Magazine has admitted it was wrong to threaten to sue an historic English pub.
The Star Inn at Vogue, in Cornwall, has been a pub for more than 200 years, but Vogue's publisher, Condé Nast, only recently got wind of it, and sent a letter in which it claimed that members of the public may make an incorrect 'connection' between the centuries-old boozer and the high-end fashion mag.
Publicans Mark and Rachel Graham initially thought it was a wind-up when the letter arrived - in the village of Vogue, where the pub is based, and where the name is obviously derived from.
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Mark subsequently wrote back, pointing out the company's glaring error.
The 60-year-old wrote: "Whilst I found your letter interesting on the one hand, I also found it hilariously funny. I presume your magazine bases its name on the dictionary term for being in fashion which is uncapitalised as used in the Oxford English Dictionary.
"If a member of your staff had taken the time to investigate they would have discovered that our company, the Star Inn, is in the small village of Vogue, near St Day, Cornwall. Yes, that's right, Vogue is the name of our village, which has been in existence for hundreds of years and in fact is a Cornish word, not English."
According to The Mirror, Christopher P. Donnellan, from Condé Nast Publications Limited's legal department, has since written another letter to Mark and Rachel, accepting the company's error.
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He said: "Many thanks for your letter dated 15 March, 2022, and for responding with more information about your business and the hamlet of Vogue.
"We were grateful for your response and to learn more about your business in this beautiful part of our country.
"I am sure you will appreciate why we regularly monitor use of the name Vogue, including at Companies House (which is how we were alerted to your company name).
"However, you are quite correct to note that further research by our team would have identified that we did not need to send such a letter on this occasion.
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"Everyone at Conde Nast wishes you and everyone in Vogue best wishes for a happy summer, and for your upcoming 'American Night' on 18 May."
This letter strikes a markedly different tone to the ill-advised original, which read: "We are concerned that the name which you are using is going to cause problems because as far as the general public is concerned a connection between your business and ours is likely to be inferred.
"Please reply within seven days or we will take remedial action."
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The remarkable story has made national headlines, and naturally, Mark initially thought it was nothing more than a wind-up.
He said: "When I opened the letter I thought some bugger in the village was having me on.
"Surely these people can't be serious. In this modern day and age someone couldn't be bothered to go onto Google and see that Vogue is a Cornish hamlet that's been here for hundreds of years. It seems common sense has taken a backseat on this one."
Ah well, looks like Mark has had the last laugh anyway.
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