A surgical system comprising: an instrument having a tapered handle attached to a head, with the head sized for insertion into a vagina and the tapered handle having a distal end that is narrower than a proximal end of the tapered handle; a support including a flexible section that is connected between a post that is attachable to a surgical table and a cradle that is configured to removably receive the tapered handle of the instrument; wherein the cradle includes a base connected to the support and opposed side walls (74, 75) connected to the base, the opposed side walls (74, 75) extend from the base and terminate at an open slot formed in the cradle opposite of the base, the open slot communicates with a tapered trough that is formed longitudinally in the cradle from a proximal end to a distal end of the cradle; wherein the tapered trough has a first inside width between the opposed side walls (74, 75) at the distal end of the cradle that is less than a second inside width between the opposed side walls (74, 75) at the proximal end of the cradle such that the tapered trough is sized to receive the tapered handle of the instrument; wherein the cradle includes an engagement feature that operates to pinch the tapered handle between the opposed side walls (74, 75) of the tapered trough when the tapered handle of the instrument is moved in a distal direction within the tapered trough characterised in that the tapered handle includes a planar indentation, and the engagement feature of the cradle is a projection formed on one of the opposed side walls (74, 75) of the cradle, the projection is sized to impinge against the planar indentation formed in the tapered handle. an instrument having a tapered handle attached to a head, with the head sized for insertion into a vagina and the tapered handle having a distal end that is narrower than a proximal end of the tapered handle; a support including a flexible section that is connected between a post that is attachable to a surgical table and a cradle that is configured to removably receive the tapered handle of the instrument; wherein the cradle includes a base connected to the support and opposed side walls (74, 75) connected to the base, the opposed side walls (74, 75) extend from the base and terminate at an open slot formed in the cradle opposite of the base, the open slot communicates with a tapered trough that is formed longitudinally in the cradle from a proximal end to a distal end of the cradle; wherein the tapered trough has a first inside width between the opposed side walls (74, 75) at the distal end of the cradle that is less than a second inside width between the opposed side walls (74, 75) at the proximal end of the cradle such that the tapered trough is sized to receive the tapered handle of the instrument; wherein the cradle includes an engagement feature that operates to pinch the tapered handle between the opposed side walls (74, 75) of the tapered trough when the tapered handle of the instrument is moved in a distal direction within the tapered trough characterised in that the tapered handle includes a planar indentation, and the engagement feature of the cradle is a projection formed on one of the opposed side walls (74, 75) of the cradle, the projection is sized to impinge against the planar indentation formed in the tapered handle.