Business Diary: Celebrities turn out in the City

To BGC Partners in Canary Wharf, for its annual charity day. The brokerage, part of Cantor Fitzgerald, has been hosting the bash for several years to commemorate the 9/11 attacks on the US, in which more than 650 of its staff lost their lives. Yesterday's event produced a good turnout, with celebrities including Jonathan Ross, Penny Lancaster, David Coulthard, Honor Blackman, Johnny Vaughan, Lisa Snowden and Cilla Black all swapping places with BGC's brokers to close out deals. The event raises millions of pounds for around 75 charities, but there's no news yet on whether the stars also made more money for BGC than its own brokers normally manage.

Deutsche hosts star busker

Also doing its bit for charity is Deutsche Bank, which sponsors War Child, the good cause that raises money for kids in conflict zones around the world. The City isn't usually terribly happy about buskers plying their trade in the Square Mile, with street musicians generally moved on pretty quickly. But Deutsche was delighted to have Fran Healy, the Travis frontman, perform outside its HQ, with staff and passers-by encouraged to dig deep for the charity.

Geffen picks a winner this time

A victory at last for Robin Geffen, the man behind Neptune Investment Management. Mr Geffen may have failed in his high-profile battle to get shot of Prudential's senior management following that disastrous failed deal with AIG, but the gods of the turf are still smiling upon him. Arctic Cosmos, the horse of which he is the co-owner, triumphed in the St Leger at the weekend.

Watch out for those bikes

Are Londoners really so short-sighted? The new bike hire scheme in the capital is sponsored by Barclays Bank, whose logo is plastered all over every cycle. Yet a poll by PR Week magazine suggests 69 per cent of people don't know Barclays backs the scheme. Bad news for the bank's marketing folk, but London's opticians will no doubt be encouraged.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk