The two most attractive jobs in London’s arts world are up for grabs for some City bigwig who likes that sort of thing - the chair of the Southbank Centre, along with, as I have already written, the chair of the Royal Opera House. Lord Hollick, who has been in charge of the riverside arts complex for the past six years, has indicated his intention to leave and the powers that be are casting around for his successor.

At the ROH, smoothychops merchant banker Simon Robertson, already a trustee, has been mentioned, though he has plenty of commitments elsewhere. The Southbank, as it is properly known, covers 21 acres, has been radically reshaped while Hollick has been at the helm and is really rather a splendid place to be on a sunny morning. The performance artists are especially bizarre. How much does the chairman get paid, I ask naively? “A warm glow. And you obviously get a lot of tickets.”

Something in the air tonight?

Cadbury is in trouble with the union at its Keynsham site near Bristol after an internal memo apparently cashing in on England’s rugby victory (didn’t our Scottish Prime Minister do the same? There’s a surprise). The memo was a puff for the “drumming gorilla” ad featuring a Phil Collins song that is prominent during the matches. Was it for Cadbury’s chocolate? I hadn’t realised, but that’s the problem with offbeat advertising for you. Unite, the union, says such support for the English team is “ruthlessly cynical” when Keynsham jobs are being lost to Poland. Cadbury says: “We’re in consultation with the staff about the potential closure of the factory.” Some jobs could, indeed, go to Poland, some elsewhere in the UK. And the ads? “That’s what we do. We advertise and sell stuff.”

— To become embroiled in one £850 million deal is understandable, to be involved in two . . . Lord Harris of Peckham, carpet salesman extraordinaire, plans a £850 million buyout of his Carpetright chain. This is, a sharp-eyed reader points out, not a million miles from the value of Arsenal Holdings, where Harris is a small shareholder.

— Ping! A truly deranged e-mail arrives. “Dear Facebook. What have you done??” It is a cry for help from an addict who has discovered his account has been disabled, along with his life. “Facebook to me is what I wake up with, talk about in the office and yes, have even dreamt about at night.” (Why are you telling me this?) Ping! A second arrives. “I feel I’ve been found guilty without knowing the crime with no appeal and sentenced to death!! I’M INNOCENT.” Calm down, dear. Do you think a few days off Facebook might be what you need? To reconnect with that round, blue and green thing the rest of us live on?

— I hear the Financial Times website is on the point of abandoning its Big Brother-style contest between five City editors after apparent vote-rigging meant that one of them received an implausible and probably automated 14,000 hits. It was a silly idea anyway.

Times Recommends

• Brown targets fat cats after nationalising banks
• US shares soar on global banking rescue
• Europe follows Brown to head off meltdown