Christmas parties draw to an end

As the Christmas parties draw to an end, even though we are only at the beginning of December, one of the most lavish was held by Groupama - a black-tie dinner in the crypt of St Paul's. Sadly, the impressively loud playing of the resident organist spoilt the pre-dinner tour of the cathedral to make things not so much Overheard as Couldn't-hear-a-thing.

A notable absence from the evening was Stuart Reid, whose excuse of personal problems was gracefully accepted by the French insurer. Overheard is certain it had nothing to do with the vital England v. Croatia match being on at the same time.

Perhaps Reid is saving his pennies, having splashed out on tickets to see the Sex Pistols in November. He claimed he had also been offered Led Zeppelin tickets, but sadly the £7,000 price tag was a bit too high to justify, even on a VP expense account.

Finally, it seems a little really can go a long way in the insurance industry. Can you guess the name of the high-flying chief executive that still owes his mother £1,000 lent to him to set up his first business?