Column Eight: Tennant's new lease of life

Sir Anthony Tennant's 'retirement' from the chair of Guinness at the age of 61 is looking increasingly busy and, dare we say it, profitable.

Morgan Stanley International, the investment bank, reveals that he will become a senior adviser and director after he leaves the drinks giant.

He was recently appointed deputy chairman of Forte and will succeed Lord Carrington as chairman of Christies in May next year. He also holds non-executive directorships at Guardian Royal Exchange and Banque Nationale de Paris.

Like many entrepreneurs Tim Martin, chairman of the budding pub chain J D Wetherspoon, owes at least part of his success to childhood influences. Asked how he had come up with the business's name he said: 'J D Wetherspoon was a teacher at primary school who I thought the least likely person to run a pub. I didn't want to tempt fate, so I named it after him.'

Tomkins, the low-tech maker of revolvers and lawn mowers, swept the board at the Investor Relations Awards bash for 1992. Among others it won the prize for best industrial company. The previous winner of this distinction was, er, British Aerospace.

Trafalgar House obviously has to work a little harder to prove that the departure of Sir Nigel Broackes and Sir Eric Parker - whose strained relations gained almost legendary status - has actually brought a change of culture.

Posing for a photographer yesterday, Alan Clements and Allan Gormly - their successors as chairman and chief executive - were sitting far apart. 'Move closer, please,' instructed the snapper.

Alan Clements has taken Brent Walker by surprise. After being made the new chairman of Trafalgar House, he is resigning his two non-executive directorships at Brent Walker and Guinness Mahon.

'It's the first we've heared of it,' said a Brent Walker spokesman, adding that he had become a bit of a Ross Perot figure because he could not decide whether to stay or go.