Pembroke: Fiat revs up for a change of culture

In its attempts to become more international Fiat, the Italian car maker, has promoted a Brit to a top job. The trouble is his name is Richard Gadeselli, which rather confuses the issue.

London-born Mr Gadeselli currently runs the group's UK public relations operation but is about to take over PR for Fiat Auto worldwide, making him arguably the most senior PR Brit anywhere.

But Mr Gadeselli's origins must have caused him a bit of ribbing in the office yesterday over last night's European football match. He hails from Arsenal territory in London, but both his parents come from Parma. 'I am not a football supporter but if I was I wouldn't have known who to support.'

THE BUNTING was out in Manchester last night when the Co-Op Bank opened its first robot banking branch. Open 24 hours a day, the octagonal glass- fronted kiosk includes cash machines, automatic pay-in machines and a video link that connects the space-age hut to the nearest human teller 25 miles away.

But the Co-Op, which plans 20 more of the things by the end of the year, did concede defeat on one issue. It has been trying to call the robot banks 'kiosks' while the press have insisted on saying they look like the Tardis out of Doctor Who. In the end the bank has given up. Keeping up the Doctor Who theme last night, it issued each of the attending journalists with a three- inch plastic Dalek.

THERE WAS many a snigger last month when Accountancy Television, the late-night service backed by all the accountancy professional bodies, went into receivership after failing to make its own numbers add up. Now, double entry book-keepers up and down the country are to have their fix of the video nasty restored.

Television Education Network, which provides monthly updates on video of changes in accountancy and law, has bought the ATV subscriber list. So distraught ATV subscribers who had fondly set their videos for 3.30 am will instead receive a video update through the post each month. But the accountancy bodies are not being left completely out in the cold.

'We are talking to the institutes about arranging their endorsement for which they will have some editorial input in return,' says a TEN spokesman.

THE BANK of England is stretching out the celebrations of its 300th anniversary all year. Later this month the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street launches her illustrated history of banknotes called Promises to Pay. The book is written by Derrick Byatt, a former manager in the Bank's foreign exchange department, and it is confident of reasonable sales. 'I don't think it will go to the top of the bestseller lists but it will sell,' says a Bank mole.

THE TAKEOVER by Emap of FHM (For Him Magazine) yesterday should leave one man with a few quid in the bank. There is only one shareholder in Tayvale, which owned the title, and that is Chris Astridge, who founded the glossy men's magazine back in 1988.

Mr Astridge, who has gamely battled against the might of Conde Nast, which publishes GQ and National Magazines (Esquire) will not be left twiddling his thumbs. He also has an advertising agency that specialises in fashion work. 'He has no definite plans. I think he might have a bit of a rest,' says the publisher, Peter Shaw.

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