Baroness Trumpington demonstrates the Blitz spirit.

And in lighter news... It is well known that a gentleman should never refer to the age of a lady (or, indeed, "Lady") ... but perhaps some Lords need to be reminded of this strict rule of etiquette.

In this short video clip (which may be viewed by clicking on the image below) Baroness Trumpington, the last member of the House of Lords to have served in the Second World War (she was a code breaker at Bletchley Park), takes particular exception to former Cabinet minister Lord King's reference to her age -- resulting in Her Ladyship's uniquely British response.

Reflecting on the incident and her colourful gesture Baroness Trumpington said "to my horror [Lord King] suddenly said, more or less, even the people who worked in the last war are starting to look very, very old. I thought 'to hell with that'...I did actually raise two fingers and I tried to pretend my hand had slipped but it was going to be quite obvious that my hand had not slipped and I meant it."

The formidable Baroness Trumpington has a royal connection: she was a member of the Royal Household as a Baroness-in-Waiting and was appointed a DCVO in 2005.