A year of fat cats and takeovers

What do you remember of events during the tenth anniversary year of `The Independent'? Test yourself with our Christmas quiz.

LEGAL NOTE: Legal Message - Brian Basham has objected to the implication that it implies that he was playing dirty tricks. Refer to Legal Dept.

Why did Alan Greenspan of the US Fed cause offence?; Where did Asda's chief Archie Norman turn up?; Edina and Patsy of the television series `Absolutely Fabulous' were associated with a new arrival on the Exchange; Why did Cedric Brown remain in the spotlight?Which fishing port did Lord Hanson put on the map?With whom was Michael Lawrence at odds?Why was Peter Robinson caught under a cloud?Who cleaned up by selling Sooty to the Japanese?

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

1 How much did Frankie's Seven-Up cost the bookies?

2 A hundred of what units will make up a Euro?

3 Which Scrooge criticised exuberance this party season?

4 How many Deutschmarks could you get to the pound at the start of 1996? (a) 2.22 (b) 2.35 (c) 2.50

5 Who ignored whose advice in January and June but accepted it in March and October?

6 Who had to scrap most of its Budget spread bets and why?

7 Who wants to revert from November to March to avoid a double-whammy?

8 Which City PR man won pounds 20,000 in damages playing Dirty Tricks?

9 Whose special dividend scheme taxed the Chancellor's patience too far?

10 Which fund manager is praying for a stock market crash?

BIDS AND DEALS

1 Which brewer failed to get into bed with a Dane?

2 Which pocket-sized electronics company decided Sugar was not to its taste?

3 The pounds 500m takeover of which high street company was agreed in January but still not completed in December?

4 Whose car parts came together to make a bigger whole?

5 Which two bids for the same company ended in a watery grave?

6 Who got together in a Concert Party?

7 Why did the Sun shine on Royal?

8 Which insurer developed a liking for pets?

9 Who thought it would be alright to merge but then got cross in the Channel?

10 Which two media peers agreed to merge?

DEPARTURES

1 Whose stock fell out of favour with the Exchange?

2 Who got rid of a Tiny problem and then sold out himself?

3 Which Lord did a four-way split and then said goodbye?

4 Which Sheffield entrepreneur's retail empire is now more Dead than Red?

5 Whose home improvements cost him his job?

6 Who lasted just six months in Coronation Street land?

ARRIVALS

1 Who made an Ab Fab debut on the Exchange?

2 Which fishing port did Lord Hanson put on the map?

3 Which Britt took a train ride on to the market?

4 Whose Norman conquest took place at Tunbridge Wells?

5 Who got into hot water by deciding to live in Kent, not Yorkshire?

6 Which insolvency practictioner followed a famous father into the Lord Mayor of London's robes?

SCANDAL!

1 Who had to pay back part of his bonus after a DIY accounting error?

2 Who had a fondness for pickled gherkins and a lady called Sandra?

3 Which "shadow director" failed to show up in court?

4 Who copped it after costing his employers pounds 1.6bn?

5 Who got caught rat trading in Hong Kong?

6 Who came back to Britain and got 5 years for money laundering?

7 Who got off and was then told he didn't have to stand trial again?

FAT CATS

1 Who was crowned King of the Fat Cats in a mock coronation ceremony?

2 Which train chief took a ride with Stagecoach and made pounds 36m?

3 Who cleaned up by selling Sooty to the Japanese?

4 Who finally bowed out after having a pig, not a gas, of a time?

5 Who got pounds 5m for changing jobs in the City?

QUOTE,UNQUOTE

1 Who said: "When I was a small businessman I was quite skilful at stringing along the creditors."?

2 ``Trust must exist in a democratic capitalist society between shareholders and the people who run their company." Whose tearful departing note was this?

3 Who said: "I'll be back" after losing the mother of all takeover battles?

4 Who said: "The buck starts here."?

5 Who said: "If I've made myself too clear you must have misunderstood me."?

SPORT IN THE CITY

1 Which supermarket chief is now charged with restoring English cricket?

2 Which chemicals chief sits on the committee of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club?

3 Which two bidders failed to win the contract to televise the Premier League?

4 Which television mogul saw his takeover approach rebuffed by the Red Devils?

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

1 pounds 30m

2 Cents

3 Alan Greenspan

4 (a)2.22

5 Ken Clarke and Eddie George respectively

6 City Index because of the Budget leak to the Mirror

7 Labour wants to revert to a March Budget

8 Brian Basham

9 Reuters

10 Tony Dye of PDFM

BIDS AND DEALS

1 Bass

2 Psion

3 Lloyds Chemists

4 Lucas and Varity

5 The Severn Trent and Wessex Water bids for South West Water

6 BT and MCI

7 Sun Alliance and Royal Insurance merged

8 Cornhill which bought PetPlan

9 P&O and Stena

10 Lords Hollick (MAI) and Stevens (United)

DEPARTURES

1 Michael Lawrence, sacked as chief executive of the Stock Exchange

2 Dieter Bock, who won control of Lonrho from Tiny Rowland and then sold his 18.5 per cent stake to Anglo American

3 Hanson

4 Stephen Hinchliffe whose Facia group was wound up

5 Peter Robinson, sacked as chief executive of the Woolwich

6 Duncan Lewis, who quit as chief executive of Granada Media Group

ARRIVALS

1 Harvey Nichols, the department store beloved of Edina and Patsy in the television series `Absolutely Fabulous'

2 Grimsby, named as headquarters of Hanson's demerged Millennium Chemicals

3 Britt Allcroft, owner of the rights to Thomas the Tank Engine

4 Asda chairman Archie Norman, selected as prospective Conservative candidate for the said constituency

5 Brandon Gough, the new chairman of Yorkshire Water

6 Roger Cork, son of Kenneth Cork

SCANDAL!

1 Henry Sweetbaum, former chairman of Wickes

2 Peter Young, disgraced Morgan Grenfell fund manager

3 Roger Levitt

4 Yasuo Hamanaka, charged over the Sumitomo copper affair

5 Colin Armstrong of Jardine Fleming

6 Elizabeth Forsyth, former personal assistant to Asil Nadir

7 Kevin Maxwell

FAT CATS

1 Sir Desmond Pitcher, chairman of United Utilities

2 Sandy Anderson, managing director of Porterbrook Leasing, bought for pounds 825m by Stagecoach

3 Matthew Corbett, son of Harry, who sold out to Guinness Mahon, a subsidiary of the bank of Yokohama

4 Cedric Brown, chief executive of British Gas

5 Bill Harrison, who left Flemings to become chief executive of BZW

QUOTE, UNQUOTE

1 Michael Heseltine

2 Lord Weinstock of GEC

3 Sir Rocco Forte

4 Alan Greenspan

5 Alan Greenspan (again)

SPORT IN THE CITY

1 Lord MacLaurin, chairman of Tesco and the Test and County Cricket Board

2 Sir Ronnie Hampel, chairman of ICI

3 United News and Media and Mirror Group/ Carlton consortium

4 Channel Four's Michael Grade who is also chairman of the video group VCI