Sod the Ides of March, have a wee dram

Today is the Ides of March, that day when the soothsayer in "a tongue shriller than all the music" warned Caesar that it might be a good idea to bunk off work.

It's hard to see Shakespeare being used to flog anything these days, so I was delighted to discover this advert for Scotch Whisky in the British Newspaper Archive, taken from the Western Morning News in 1927. We should bring back adverts that use line drawings rather than photos!

Particularly fabulous is the sales pitch that Scotch can be used as a remedy against influenza. The drinking advice is also quite wonderful, too: "Scotch Whisky can be taken at the strength and in the volume best suited to the individual constitution, the time and the climate."

If only alcohol today could be sold with a "drink what you want, when you want, you're a grown-up" message.