Martin Robins, managing director of Farmington Stone, graphically demonstrates his point after Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire said Farmington stone was the wrong colour.

He took his bucket and a piece of walling stone into the office of the council\'s chief executive to demonstrate the effect of weathering on the stone.

I went to his office and put the new stone into the bucket of water, says Robins, And, behold! Just a few minutes later it had taken on the weathered hue they were looking for.