Table legs it

In the human laboratory that is the Telegraph newsroom, last week saw the exit of the Hydraulic Hub.

The table, at the centre of the spokes of desks in the Victoria aircraft hangar, adjusted for different tasks at different times of day. At full height, small meetings could lean in, as if taking un doppio at an Italian bar counter, making fast deployment decisions; half way, it could host a sit-down session for longer deliberations; and then down to coffee table level, to look down on first pulls.  It brought digital and print teams together, and meetings were open to all comers, provided you could get close enough to hear.

It's gone - to be replaced by a ring of desks for the new editorial leaders, circling the wagons against the possibility of incoming arrows from a new generation of multimedia hacks. There is, apparently, a seat for Jason Seiken - but he hasn't been seen at it yet, at least not in normal operating hours.

Meanwhile, around the perimeter, all the prized glass boxes which provided cover for the old regime have been taken out - apart from the Seiken duplex. We'll let you know if we spot any journalistic improvement resulting from the new layout.