Pembroke: Rowlands rebel over biography

A VERY good morning to you, Tom Bower. First the bad news - a review by Tiny Rowland of your book Tiny Rowland - A Rebel Tycoon.

It reads: 'I very much regret that a boring and unrecognisable account of my life should have been published today entitled 'A Rebel Tycoon'. None of the interesting bits are in. I know many people, but, thank God, not the author.'

Now the worse news. Mrs Rowland is demanding an apology within 48 hours from you and your publisher, William Heinemann. 'Apart from the fact that I love my husband, every other reference to me is untrue and denigratory.'

Over to you. And have a nice day.

SOME tycoons tell their fellow board members. Some even tell the shareholders first. But not Lord Weinstock. He told Sue Lawley on Desert Island Discs.

Asked when he would retire, the 69-year-old managing director of GEC said: 'Oh, I have no intention of retiring and I can't imagine when I might.'

Lesser mortals have to submit themselves to re-election at the age of 70. But perhaps Lord Weinstock is above such trivialities.

Anastasya Naumenko is on nine months' secondment to The Share Centre from the St Petersburg Stock Exchange. Today the centre takes the wraps off its special BT3 share shop and Ms Naumenko will be speaking on how experience with this 'innovative British privatisation' will help with issuing shares to the hungry Russian public.

'It will be a very, very short speech,' she says. Next thing, the Russians will be saying we can't teach them how to play cricket.

ANEW face at Gardner Merchant, where John Padovan pops up as non-executive chairman.

Gardner Merchant, you will remember, was the subject of a pounds 400m management buyout from Forte this year, and rumours of a flotation have been rife. Mr Padovan, it should be noted, is chairman of one publicly quoted company, AAH Holdings, and a director of two others - Tesco and Whitbread. Just for good measure, he's also on the board of de Zoete & Bevan, the stockbroker. Sounds like that float is getting closer, perhaps.