The feral beast: Tatler lines up tit-for-tat editor

Geordie Greig is tipped to be editor of the 'Evening Standard', but who will step up to the plate at 'Tatler'? The Beast's money is on Catherine Ostler, the talented editor of 'ES' magazine, the 'Standard' supplement. A friend of Condé Nast chief Nicholas Coleridge – but then, who isn't? – she was out socialising with him last week. A Vogue House source says they're meeting for lunch this week to thrash out terms. Poaching Ostler, known to some as "Tiny Tears", would be a coup for Coleridge and have a neat symmetry.

Wadley waits for news

Where now for Standard editor Veronica Wadley? It has been assumed that she would be "looked after" by Paul Dacre, editor-in-chief of the Mail. When the story of the impending purchase by Alexander Lebedev first surfaced, Wadley confidently assured staff she had been told there was no truth in it. Whether she would want to take a job from Associated will be in doubt, and I'm told the staff share a good deal of her sense of grievance. She does not lack sympathisers, though, having been called by both Dave and Boris (who also managed to spend a couple of hours with Geordie Greig at the end of the week). Plenty to chew on during her forthcoming break in Kenya.

Mail turned poacher

An unspoken rule at Associated Newspapers has always been that sister papers cannot poach staff from one another. But now it's a free for all. The Richard Kay column in the 'Daily Mail' has recruited Priscilla Pollara, a bright young reporter currently on Londoner's Diary in the 'Evening Standard'. Before the 'Standard', Priscilla was at 'Tatler' under Geordie Greig. Piccolo mondo!

Will the real Rayner please stand

'Observer' food critic Jay Rayner was earning his keep last weekend by tossing the usually scoop-starved news desk a story. So how was the poor chap rewarded? With a misspelt by-line (Jay Raynor). To add to the confusion, a cross-ref at the bottom of the piece directed readers to a comment piece by Jay Rayner. The feisty scribe was, I'm told, less than amused.

Caught in at least two minds

Outrage at public sector profligacy has bubbled over at the 'Daily Mail'. "Jobzilla Lingo Bingo" is a splendid weekly game in which readers can win £500 for matching the right jargon to ads from the previous day's 'Society Guardian'. That's on p33, but what's this on p70 of the same day's 'Mail'? A full-page piece headed "The secret to going public", telling us of the joys of switching from the private to public sector. Disappointingly there's no trail on p33.

Is Barber planning a unisex cut?

Over at the 'Financial Times', union membership is growing as the paper calls for 20 editorial redundancies despite making a profit averaging at £35,000 an employee. Editor Lionel Barber, to be found posing in the current issue of 'GQ', has created a more blokey atmosphere at the Pink 'un in recent years, but surely allegations that more women than men are being earmarked for redundancy can't be true?