It was one of those awful moments.
A colleague mentioned that she was disappointed with the conservative choice of tie by GPC chairman Dr Laurence Buckman minutes before his maiden speech as chairman at today's LMCs conference in London.
The irrepressible Dr Buckman was, of course, standing immediately behind her in the press office and heard every word.
And, as she acknowledged his presence, he chirupped: 'The style police have got to me.'
In tie terms, Dr Buckman is usually renowned for his love of the colourful and garish - more Homer Simpson than Paul Smith.
And this year it wasn't just the tie that was more conservative. The BMA's Support Your Surgery campaign and the 1.2 million patient signatures it has generated in just three weeks has gone down a storm in some sections of the media. It made the splash in today's Daily Telegraph and is heavily-featured in the Daily Mail.
And any doubts that anyone may have had about Dr Buckman's ability to speak for LMC representatives should have been dispelled by this morning's rousing speech. The LMCs chairman was not the only one to notice that its two standing ovations were quite likely unprecedented.
This was my eighth LMCs conference and I can't ever recall that. I can remember being impressed by the headmasterly qualities of Dr John Chisholm and the understated charm and cool of Dr Hamish Meldrum. But what of Dr Buckman?
Well, he may have been nobbled by the style police in tie terms but his style retains its rather honest and endearing rough edges despite the efforts of those around him to 'moderate' him.
Notable turns of phrase this morning included: 'I got slagged off on the floor of the House for being the 'worst trade unionist since Arthur Scargill'. I don't even have his hairstyle' and even the frankly rather odd 'come on peeps' at one point.
But, most importantly, I guess Dr Buckman succeeded in accurately reflecting exactly how LMCs representatives are feeling right now.
There was sustained applause throughout his speech and genuine chord touching for sentiments such as: 'The NHS should be putting money into GP premises and staff rather than PFIs for the benefit of private shareholders' and 'The NHS depends on the goodwill of its workers. The government was very unwise to throw it away as they won't get it back easily'.
He may not have endorsed GP's Valuing General Practice campaign by name but 'value' was the 19th word in his speech and it was repeated twice as he pointed out government's current under-appreciation of the profession.
What the DoH obeservers at the back of the conference made of it is anyone's guess. But they can't have failed to be impressed by Dr Buckman's support and leadership.
The conclusion to the speech was particularly energising: 'So, what's it to be government: peace and construction or a never-ending fight to protect the NHS? I'm game for either.'
What Number 10 will make of the more conservative Dr Buckman remains to be seen.