The price for this three-piece suit would be £1,870. This is much less than one would expect to pay in Savile Row, where such a suit would be well in excess of £3,000. Mr Golding was keen to impress upon me that – apart from the use of one or two more modern processes in the making – the suit would be made just as it would be made in ‘the Row’, with buttons of real horn and all those other little details which are so important to any gentleman who wishes to dress well. I discussed with him the matter of aligning the stripes. Across the front of the jacket and of the waistcoat, he assured me that this would be done, but his view was that at the jacket shoulders – because the check was large – any attempt to align the stripes would distort the fit of the garment. I deferred to the expert, of course.

Two weeks later I was back for the first fitting. It was now clear that I had made the right choice of material. It was also clear that I was dealing with a master tailor. (Mr Golding measures every client himself.) With many pins and much chalk, he went here, there and everywhere over the ‘rough cut’. He also used something I had not encountered before: a thick leather belt to find a good waist line. After a discussion of the length and the height of the trousers – I like them high at the waist, but not too long at the ankle – I was soon back on the train to town, reading The Spectator. I made several of these little trips – out of my front door at ten o’clock on a Monday morning and back in time for lunch at one – for I discovered that Mr Golding is something of a perfectionist, and there were several adjustments to be made over the next few weeks. On each visit my attention was caught by yet another certificate or letter of appreciation from a senior officer of the British Army. These encomiums cover the oak-panelled walls of the shop.

The most impressive tribute is, of course, the award of the Royal Warrant. Mr Golding proved discreet about his association with the Palace, and such discretion is entirely proper. He was willing to say only, “We make directly for the Royal Family.”

Eventually, the suit was complete. As you can see from the photographs, it is a fine piece of work – well-cut and shaped so as to restore to me the semblance of a waist. The stripes run smoothly across the front of the jacket, giving a sense of balance. I can report that the suit feels comfortable in the wearing, and has already provoked complimentary remarks from those of my acquaintance. In one picture you will observe the cuff buttons. All occupy working buttonholes. I have undone three to illustrate the point, but I hardly need emphasize to readers of Bown’s Bespoke that a gentleman should never, ever wear his jacket with his cuff buttons undone. What matters is that they work, not that they can be seen doing so.

I am glad that I made those trips from St Pancras station. I have secured a country suit which will serve me well for many years to come. I believe that Mr Golding has every right to be proud of the standards of tailoring he maintains in the cathedral city of St Albans. The highest in the land, both military and Royal, like his work. And so do I.