Pembroke: Wonderbra enlists new Cup support

World Cup fever has reached such a pitch in Ireland that it is affecting women's underwear. The American Sara Lee Corporation, which owns the Playtex bra brand, is taking advantage of the imminent tournament to launch an emerald green number. The limited edition Wonderbra will be unveiled today with two slogans: 'Ooh Aah Wonderbra' - a play on the title of defender Paul McGrath's autobiography - and 'Cup Fever'.

Brand manager Joanne O'Grady says she hatched the idea on a visit to Dublin during the last World Cup when she was overwhelmed by the football excitement in the city. 'Women can show their support by wearing the green Wonderbra,' she said.

Top City economist Ruth Lea has caught the economics world by surprise with a move to the media. Ms Lea, chief UK economist at Lehman Brothers, is joining ITN in its newly created role of economics editor. Ms Lea, 46, is no stranger to appearances on television. At Lehman and earlier at Mitsubishi Bank she was a regular talking head on matters of inflation and unemployment. Now she will rival Peter Jay in communicating the world of the Phillips Curve to the masses tuned in to News at Ten.

Ms Lea is a lively type. A former Treasury singer, she is given to bursting into song over lunch. Given what we know of City salaries, we can only assume she will be singing for rather less at ITN.

Commerce is in the air down at Moyns Park, the Essex seat of the Mountbatten family. Back from a mining venture in Venezuela, the 31-year-old Lord Ivar Mountbatten is setting about a new project with gusto. Lord Ivar, who tied the knot with his 29-year-old wife Penny in April, has been renovating and plans to open the park as a corporate hospitality venue next month.

The couple will host weddings and parties, and falconry and other pursuits will be on offer. 'People will get exclusive use of the house so it will not be like a hotel,' sniffs a staffer.

Further to this column's report last week on the clash of the golf days between Savoy and Inchcape, it appears the Savoy has retreated. A showdown was set for 18 July when both corporates had booked Wentworth for the day. The Savoy says it will hold its thrash on another date.

The word is that the hotel group backed down because of its links with the course (the Savoy is a significant shareholder and chief executive Giles Shepard sits on the board). Mr Shepard apparently felt he ought to do the decent thing and pick a new date.

Peter Whitehead, the commercial director of pub operator Grosvenor Inns, supped his last pint with the Slug & Lettuce chain yesterday and resolved to seat his bar stool in pastures new. 'The parting is quite amicable,' he explained. 'I hit 50 recently and decided to do something different.'

The commercial director plans a new venture - training publicans and retailers - but is also set on a three- month sabbatical.

'I've got a son in Japan and a daughter in America so I'll be making trips there before sorting out the next step,' he said.

(Photograph omitted)