Shortly after receipt of the charter for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, its executive committee appointed the late Professor David Baum (then president-elect) and myself (honorary archivist) to arrange the production of a coat of arms. I phoned the College of Arms for advice and was put through to the Richmond Herald, who was duty herald for the day. After asking a few questions he said that, provided that we were prepared to pay £7000, there should be no difficulty. I made an appointment to meet him with David Baum at the College of Arms near St Paul's Cathedral. The ground floor contains a courtroom where cases of dispute on heraldic matters can be heard. We went up a creaking wooden staircase lined with framed sheets …