So off it goes. The World Economic Forum’s Davos 2007 meeting has begun with early discussions on the global economy — which is doing quite well, they say — and more esoteric chats about “The Legal Landscape around Climate Change” and “Exploring Identity and the Communication Disconnect”. For the hundreds of journalists gathered to cover the event communication disconnect is always a major worry.

With apologies to Shakespeare, meanwhile, could this be the winter of our discount tent? The media find themselves in a tent rather than the concrete command post of yore. That bunker had a certain poignancy for reporters, at least for Reuters ones, because where they work at big events is nearly always called the bunker. At Davos, it really was one — underground and no windows.

Now we find ourselves staring out of plastic windows at growing snowfall and dropping temperatures. The tent is actually quite expensive looking and is clearly supposed to be an all-weather construction. Lets hope that doesn’t mean, when the weather’s cold, so are we.