The 'Big Excuse' in the public relations profession is probably the same the world over: "Well, we did everything we could, but your press release didn't make it in to the newspaper because of the terrorist bomb / crashing airliner / politician caught in bed with someone of a different sex (or species) than their wife / footballer caught dogging in the layby on the A412 outside Slough".

So Wickes must be feeling quite pleased with its story in the Daily Express yesterday, when over 18 pages of the newspaper were devoted to election reporting, results and commentary.

The DIY chain carried out a survey which showed that 88% of people now use their bedrooms for anything but the first two things that come to mind. Primarily: eating (a meal, rather than ice cream from their partner's midriff), watching the plasma TV, reading and working. Apparently: "for nearly 9 out of 10 people, sex is the last thing on their minds once they are in the bedroom."

But then again, given that the poll was conducted exclusively amongst customers of the store, I wonder whether it doesn't say more about the sort of person that shops at Wickes than anything else.