CITY DIARY

Yorkshire brawn and Yorkshire bread

Leeds United may yet regret bringing on M' Learned Friends against Nordale Country Foods. The local firm had been sponsoring Tony Yeboah, the prolific striker, to the tune of two Yorkshire puddings for every goal he scored plus one for each of his team mates. Such are the talents of the Ghanaian international that the arrangement resulted in lorry-loads of pudding being sent to the football club, including one delivery of more than 250.

Nordale naturally felt that Mr Yeboah's success was down to the supply of Yorkshire pudding - a sentiment not shared by the club or Mr Yeboah's agent who felt that the food manufacturer was exploiting the "Yeb-Pud'' factor.

Indeed, the agent was of the predictable view that his client should be paid in money rather than puddings.

Solicitors for Leeds United have since written to Nordale instructing the company to stop sending puddings. The implied threat was that if it did not then Leeds would blame the alleged pudding diet on any subsequent loss of the footballer's form.

Nordale duly complied. Since when Mr Yeboah has had something of a fallow patch.

To Verbier for the Christmas break where one is confronted by the party of Geoffrey Gestetner, scion of the office equipment dynasty. The Hanson- trained executive, now installed at BTR's shower division, has taken an apartment for the season in the exorbitantly-priced resort, some say in the hope of attracting a suitable mate.

The former Cambridge boxing blue (a heavyweight, so words must be chosen carefully) is certainly eligible - in an obvious sort of way. But he has not been seen out much, preferring to entertain chez Geoffrey and indulge his passion for cooking.

Visitors should note that Mr Gestetner has not left his commercial acumen back at the office. One guest reports being charged pounds 250 for four nights.

The centenary of Knight Frank, the upmarket estate agent that has finally ditched the unfortunate Rutley, has already received more publicity than it deserves. However, one pertinent fact emerges in the commemorative brochure. And that is the quality of the firm's Christmas lunches. Much like Mr Gestetner (above) the KFR people have a taste for the high life and the 1994 Christmas lunch was a lively do at Val Thorens in France "10,000 feet up in the Alps''.

Ever the salesmen, the firm cannot resist a quick pitch. "KFR has acted for many showbusiness personalities,'' notes the brochure, "including Hugh Grant.'' Does this mean the actor has finally been given his marching orders by Elizabeth Hurley? We should be told.

Some fine-tuning to the London Stock Exchange's share reclassification was the order of the day yesterday after a few companies began 1996 in strange territory. John Foster & Son was a glaring example. The no-nonsense mohair top maker and spinner, looked particularly out of place in the "alcoholic beverages'' sector before it was quickly moved.

Hambro Countrywide announces the resignation of A Gunn. It's a good job he wasn't fired.

Blank looks at BT following an enigmatic inaugural address from the new chief executive. "My message for 1996 is simple,'' promised Sir Peter Bonfield, late of ICL. "Fasten your seatbelts, we're in for a roller- coaster ride''. Unfortunately, the freshly-knighted executive declined to elaborate on the call to arms, leaving the wider audience none the wiser as to what lies ahead. It was left to chairman Sir Iain Vallance to smooth things over by blathering on about his Sir Peter's "dedication to quality management''. Watch this space.