The City Diary

Sandwich in the City. Pret a Manger gets into the movies for nothing

It seems that some British brands have scored some prime product placement in the 'Sex and the City' film. Grabbing the headlines is a spectacular Vivienne Westwood dress but more interesting is Pret a Manger's big moment when Miranda and Carrie produce a Pret bag and nibble at a couple of sandwiches. Pret, whose founders Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham sold the company for £345m in February, hasn't always been a hit in New York – in 2002 it was forced to shut outlets after fussy New Yorkers turned up their noses at the British fare. But all that has changed. Most companies that feature in the film paid a premium for the privilege, but Pret snuck in for free because Sarah Jessica Parker, pictured, (who plays Carrie) is a regular in Pret's New York shops and insisted that those were the sarnies she would munch.

Buff butlers cover up

When are Butlers in the Buff not in the buff? When they're waiting on a City party for event organisers Mark Butler Associates. The muscled and tanned young men, not unlike the gentleman right, usually wear little more than a g-string and a strategically placed apron, were called in to serve cocktails at a pre-film party for 'Sex and the City' on Wednesday night. But to the disappointment of the 100-odd, predominately female City workers gathered at Taman Gang restaurant on Park Lane for the party, the buffed-up waiters were wearing rather more than usual. "They were always going to be in trousers – anything else just wouldn't be appropriate for a corporate event," the Mark Butler team primly tells us.

Come on, chaps, the credit crunch is fun

Life can get a tad bleak for Glasgow's financial services workers in a credit crunch. French bank BNP Paribas is so concerned with the welfare of its Scottish staff that it brought in a "culture consultant" to advise on how to cheer them up. The consultant, flown in from Australia (yes, we know it's ironic), decided more laughter was needed, so team members are now charged with devising "fun activities". We're not entirely sure exactly what this involves, but presumably there'll be gags about the woes of rival Société Générale and its charming rogue trader.

Cayne isn’t able to sweet-talk his shareholders

Bear Stearns chairman Jimmy Cayne may have made a somewhat belated apology last Thursday at the meeting to vote on the bank's sale to JPMorgan (in restrospect the "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger" comment probably wasn't advisable, Jimmy), but it went down about as well as the collapse of the 85-year-old bank with shareholders and staff. Our favourite line on the sad chapter in Wall Street history came from T-shirts being flogged outside Bear's Manhattan HQ, bearing the legend: "I worked for Bear Stearns 20 years and all I got was a Cayne-ing".

Brits can’t be bovvered

Fuel surcharges and nasty exchange rates may well be cutting into our holiday spending, but Brits still remain a nation of fritterers when they arrive on foreign shores. New, and vitally important, research from American Express reveals that one in three holidaymakers blow all their foreign currency while abroad. And the main reason for this extravagant spending? The majority told the pollsters it's because they can't be bothered converting it back into sterling when they return home.

Oh for a mis-spent youth

Far be it from us to question Pr spin, but a member of the business desk is unwilling to let this one go. According to a study by research consultancy FreshMinds, graduates of the Young Enterprise scheme, which sees sixth-formers set up their own business for several months, typically earn a third more than their peers when they hit 30. The colleague, who did Young Enterprise, point outs that he will be 30 next month and earns considerably less than friends, who wisely went out drinking and meeting girls during their teens.

Mention RBS and compassion fatigue kicks in

JP Morgan may be slashing 7,700 Bear Stearns staff, including around 1,000 in London, but as we reported last week, it has tried awfully hard to wield the axe in the nicest possible way. Chief executive Jamie Dimon has even become involved by writing letters to rival companies asking them to consider hiring his surplus staff. And the bank has also attempted to smooth the passage for Bear staff who have managed to get new jobs – by agreeing to release them early from their contracts. But according to a Square Mile gossip website, this generosity only extends so far. Apparently, any staff who take new jobs at Royal Bank of Scotland are being told they must either work out their notice or go on gardening leave. Exactly why RBS is being singled out can only be guessed at. A feud between Dimon and Sir Fred perhaps?

Email your best diary stories to s.evans@independent.co.uk for a chance to win a bottle of 12-year-old single malt from Bruichladdich – the progressive Hebridean Distillers.