Column Eight: Thanks for your interest

BRITISH GAS claims to be an enthusiastic supporter of Opportunity 2000, the campaign to promote women in the workplace. Indeed, earlier this year a spokesman rang this newspaper hissing with rage after it was left out of an article on companies successful in promoting the interests of female staff.

So British Gas was approached for the planned follow-up. Jan Carter, senior personnel officer (equal opportunities), who, you might imagine, would have the details at her fingertips, replied thus:

'You will no doubt be aware that British Gas receives many such requests for information, and whilst this is undoubtedly an important area of research, current operational pressures are such that we are unable to resource the time required for such a questionnaire . . . thank you for your interest in British Gas.'

Apart from British Gas's attitude to Opportunity 2000, we would like to know how Jan Carter 'resourced the time' to do such damage to the English language.

THERE WAS such a thing as a free lunch yesterday - at the Granary Mill restaurant in Little Hallingbury, Essex.

According to the riverside restaurant's bullish owner, David Coopersmith, the recession is over - it's just a matter of believing it. As his contribution to boosting economic confidence he fed more than 150 guests, lured by publicity in the local paper.

All the guests had to do to avail themselves of the free lunch was produce their business cards. Afterwards, Mr Coopersmith said: 'There was an air of optimism.'

The Chancellor will be pleased.

INTRIGUE and dirty dealing briefly raised their heads at the monthly Lloyd's press conference this week. The cause was that old chestnut beloved of journalists, shredded documents.

After due consideration of the latest amendments to Lloyd's byelaws, the man from Channel 4 dramatically dropped his intended bombshell: why had a specialist van drawn up outside the Lloyd's building at 4am one day last week to take papers away for shredding?

After some consternation (but not much), Nick Doak, Lloyd's press officer, supplied the humdrum answer. It seems Lloyd's greenness extends beyond insurance to concern for the environment. The van was simply picking up the latest batch of paper collected for recycling.

JUST A little thought on the proposed pounds 90m takeover of Manders by its paint producing rival Kalon. If it goes through, we think Kalon will be the only company to have its very own page on the Topic screen. At the moment the companies share one.