Euroblog

“That sounds like a bit of a bull market trip,” one envious banker told Blog, when we happened to mention we were off to Paris to watch the French Open tennis with BNP Paribas.

With Credit Suisse's syndicate bankers in still in mourning, Andy Young has unveiled the new website for his luxury B&B — www.ravenhurst.co.uk. The ginger ninja doesn’t open the doors until September, but Euroblog expects to be the first reviewer invited to his plush Cheltenham pad.

What do crazy badass bankers do at the weekend? Take the Tough Mudder Challenge of course. This is how JP Morgan’s Ulrik Ross and Lloyds’ Chris Mollenbach, along with other Danish colleagues, tested their stamina a couple of Saturdays ago.

The climax of EuroWeek’s Bond Dinner last Wednesday was a well-kept secret – at least from one person.

London-based investment bankers might not be the first demographic that springs to mind when you think of socialism. And skiing in Europe isn’t exactly synonymous with the proletariat rising up and casting off its chains.

Blog is pleased to confirm that in the banking community no one is too set in their ways to not make a radical about face, throw off old, accepted ideas and embrace a new set of ideals.

Nomura’s Conrad Baker is having a cracking year.

Hats off to one of the largest and best known banks in covered bonds. This top performing bank pays careful attention to the bottom line and clearly doesn’t throw its money around when it comes to all-important travel arrangements.

‘Twas a cold March night in the City of London and Blog was sheltered around Ye Olde Doctor Butler’s Head trying to keep warm with a cold pint of Becks, when out of the night came a man with a tale to tell.

Jürgen Neumuth does not support a football team, preferring to be a “fan of the game”. Despite this non-committal stance, however, Blog was impressed to hear of the sacrifice the UniCredit syndicate man made for Bayern Munich last month.

For an institution supposedly returning to core banking, UBS struck a decidedly racy tone at last week’s IMN covered bonds conference. Blog was immediately drawn to the Swiss bank’s stall, partly by the free chocolate, but mostly by the presence of an impressive Scalextric set, resplendent in UBS livery.

Bankers have long complained to Euroblog about the dwindling pools of talent available to them at grad fairs since the industry has fallen (further) into disrepute following almost six years of scandals, bail-outs and crises of various stripes.