'Quiet months' of summer

Despite being the 'quiet months' of summer, the movement in the broking market has been frenetic. However, we hear Mark Cliff has still had time recently to visit the K Club for a bit of schmoozing. Meanwhile, we learn that Stuart Reid has been doing his own moving - taking time off to 'change pads'. Paul Samways has been entertaining at the cricket, while the industry 'movers and shakers' including Paul Meehan, Chris Giles and Alex Alway managed to take time off in Rome for the Norwich Union annual broker rendezvous.

John Humphrys of BBC Radio Four and swear-box celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay both made appearances at the conference - the latter as a motivational speaker.

In order to keep the brokers away from the bar, a mastermind competition was set-up. Joining a claims director from Norwich Union - whose identity we have kept a secret for reasons about to be made clear - was Grant Ellis and Gordon Ramsay. The subjects? Insurance and food, of course. Ellis said his "biggest worry was getting any insurer questions wrong". However, Ellis need not have worried as the man from NU said the code for the tax on insurance premiums was FSCS rather than IPT. Another win for the brokers!

When asked why Chris Giles had moved down to the South, Ellis replied: "Because he had to".

Meanwhile, after reading last month's Overheard John Kitson has taken time out to reassure us that he was indeed wearing one of Ellis's badges at the British Insurance Brokers' Association conference. He wrote in: "Just for the record, Grant Ellis was spot on. I was wearing one of his pink pin badges. And no way would I discard such a coveted item. Your reporter might have seen my yellow NU flower which was obscuring the pink badge. I'm a big fan of BNL and their new design so I'll continue to wear the badge at all times." Therefore, rumours Kitson was feeling guilty and offered Ellis a spot on Mastermind with Ramsay to make up for it are totally inaccurate!