Pembroke: Greenhalgh makes his move

John Greenhalgh, the PR man who brought Wagga Wagga Mining and a hundred other Aussie penny gold shares to the attention of the City, is raiding his well- endowed piggy bank to snap up a 10 per cent stake in rival Citigate.

Greenhalgh, a shrewd operator who bears more than a passing resemblance to the late lamented Leonard Rossiter, has hoarded the best part of pounds 3.5m cash since he bought his City of London PR group to market five years ago.

The Citigate shares - costing a mere pounds 200,000 - come from a 35 per cent stake unloaded by Scandanavian group SG Investments. Greenhalgh may dip back into his nest egg to buy the rest of Citigate shares, for which he is currently negotiating an option.

In the meantime, Citigate employees and parliamentary lobbyists Westminister Communications snaffled the rest of the shares on offer.

Some comfort then for staff at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development who may not have made it to Wimbledon. The beautifully manicured lawn on the doorstep of the bank's London HQ (which has been replaced after last summer's aerobics classes) has now been turned over to tennis - courtesy of two giant television screens.

Never one to miss a trick, the local Corney & Barrow is serving strawberries and cream at pounds 2.50.

Anyone worried about the general standard of education in the UK should look no further than yesterday morning's quiz from GMTV, that highbrow station bringing quality viewing to the nation. The prize: a holiday for four in Orlando and the Bahamas. The question: 'Which TV series was set in Florida: was it Miami Vice, LA Law, or Dallas?' A difficult one that. How about A Year in Provence?

No doubt emulating the master Alfred Hitchcock who appeared fleetingly in each of his films, Colin Dexter, creator of the Inspector Morse TV series, is in the latest BT3 television advertisements which feature Mel Smith as Inspector Morose.

SG Warburg, which is organising the BT sale, muttered cryptically yesterday that 'people should look at Mel Smith's jacket and tie in the advertisements'.

What can it all mean? Further queries to the merchant bank, please.

The annual report from the telecoms watchdog, Oftel - normally the ultimate in rich pickings for those who love to hate BT - proved something of a damp squib yesterday.

Not only were there no regulatory nasties lurking in the pages, but complaints against BT actually went down last year - by an impressive under 1 per cent.