CITY DIARY

Nice to see Nick Bubb, the former Morgan Stanley stores analyst, keeping his hand in at the Next press conference yesterday. The softly spoken numbers man has been taking it easy since parting company with his former charge five weeks ago. "I came to the press conference because I didn't want to get up early for the analysts' meeting," he said after sitting quietly in the corner. "I've been getting used to doing the school run whilst looking at other projects."

Options for future employment have included an opening at a small broker, headhunting and possibly a strategy position at a retail group.

Ossie Ardiles, the former manager of Tottingham Hotspur, as he always called it, has a new job. The chirpy former Argentinean international, who used to study law, has joined Barnett Alexander Chart, a London law firm, as a consultant. The firm says he will assist with its growing sports and international corporate practice. "We thought twice about going public with this given football's recent troubles but Mr Ardiles is a respected sporting and international ambassador."

Neville Bain, the burly New Zealander who took over as chief executive at textile group Coats Viyella last year, is getting very excited about a fancy new machine that can reproduce designer knitwear from catwalk videos.

Mr Bain, who likes to try out his investments himself, has had a go on the machine, which is like an advanced computer-aided design system that creates shaped, figure hugging knitwear. His creation is a lurid woolly jumper, decorated with colourful squares, which he has designed for his wife.

The good lady has not seen her husband's eye-catching effort yet but sightings yesterday suggest that Mr Bain should stick to his day job.

Raymond Seitz, a former US ambassador to Britain, is joining Lehman Brothers, the US investment bank, as a senior director with the European division based in London.

Lehman says the former diplomat's extensive international experience will prove invaluable to the bank and its clients. Mr Seitz has certainly been about on his diplomatic tour. In a career spanning nearly 30 years, he has done spells in Montreal, Nairobi, the Seychelles and Zaire as well as London.

Who would have thought that football-style aggro would spread to broomball, the inoffensive ice hockey game played at the Broadgate arena in the City? In the finals yesterday two members of the IBJ Moosemen team were sent off after tempers flared during the matches with Lasmo Oilers. The Moosemen went on to repeat last year's victory in a final best described as stroppy.