JCB CHAIR TAKES THE HONOURS AT GOODWOOD
TO SUSSEX yesterday for the final day of the Goodwood Revival classic car festival, where a raft of senior figures from the City were slogging it out against each other on the track in the most prestigious race of the weekend – the Royal Automobile Club TT race.
The race – a one-hour, two-driver challenge in which the cars, entirely closed cockpit GT cars from the early 1960s, are collectively worth over £100m – was eventually won by a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, owned by JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford.
Bamford, like a sensible chap, had left the driving to French racing driver Jean-Marc Gounon and English driver Peter Hardman, switching over half way through the race. He also had another 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO entered in the race, driven by son Joe and former racer and presenter Alain de Cadenet, which came middle of the 30-car field in 16th place.
Orange chief executive Tom Alexander put in a respectable performance in his 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT, coming in 19th position, though the bragging rights for the business world go to BGC Partners boss Shaun Lynn, who notched up an impressive sixth place in his 1961 Jaguar E-type lightweight.
BACK TO THE CITI
A high-profile jump back to the City for Eddie Charlton, the jovial former director of HSBC Private Bank, who is joining Citi as a senior adviser.
Charlton, a qualified lawyer, left HSBC earlier this year and has been enjoying the good life ever since, popping up at a few charity sporting events and the like over the summer.
Along with any number of prestigious financial roles, Charlton has also repeatedly been linked with footballing body roles – first in 2007, when he was beaten to the Football Association chairman’s post by Lord Triesman, and again earlier this year, to succeed the outgoing Lord Mawhinney as chair of the Football League.
WRONG SIDE OF LAW
Never ones to shy away from using a high-profile event for publicity stunts, bookie Paddy Power made the Pope’s visit to Blighty something of a focus for its efforts over the weekend. Not that it won them any favours with the police, mind – first the firm’s replica “Popemobile” was clamped in Edinburgh, then officers pulled it over in London for loitering in front of Buckingham Palace…
BODY AND SOUL
Something of an unusual extra-curricular activity from Numis Securities mining analyst Cailey Barker, who wants to spread his martial arts wisdom to fellow financial sector workers to help them protect themselves in the capital.
Bushin Martial Spirit, Barker’s venture, is based upon a mixed martial arts style which he developed himself, incorporating the usual self-defence focused combat techniques with meditation, massage and “internal energy” exercises to develop mind, body and spirit as a whole.
“People think martial arts are akin to Alex Reid-style cage fighting but they’re not – all of them have their roots in self defence, which is so important in London,” says Barker.
Apparently, the classes have been popular among City workers keen for a break from the usual gym routine – though given the continuing vilification of the industry and disturbing threats like the Real IRA’s warning to bankers last week, Barker’s timing could hardly be more propitious.