‘Go sockless,” instructed The Times recently l — only to criticise our Prime Minister David Cameron when he followed this advice during his holiday in the Tuscan sunshine.

Such mixed messages are not uncommon from newspapers. They are offered particularly often over alcohol — a subject which the ladies and gentlemen of the press are particularly well qualified to discuss, of course.

Few people will have missed, surely, how important a role boozing is said to have played in the wedding in Scotland last weekend of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall. Her hen party and his stag ‘do’ were both alleged to have been alcohol-drenched affairs. The reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse appears to have been too.

The Times on Monday reported gleefully that after the Queen left at 6pm the party went on for another eight hours “fuelled by champagne and vodka shots from a self-service machine”. Prince Harry was said to have emerged “blinking into the sunlight . . . somewhat dishevelled” the morning after the bash.

On Tuesday, The Times carried another report concerned with drinking in Scotland. This voiced criticism by health professionals of the number of Edinburgh Fringe shows that are about to highlight “the dubious pleasures of drunkenness” (something The Times certainly knows all about highlighting). Jennifer Curran, the head of policy at Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “Whilst alcohol related behaviour will often be portrayed as humorous, the reality is that our drinking is having major health and social consequences . . . across Scotland.”

Another vodka shot, Harry?