WATERSTONE’S, the bookseller, has made enemies of a large chunk of the internet community. Just before Christmas, the chain fired an Edinburgh employee of 11 years for satirical comments made about his work at the company on his blogsite, or internet diary.

The employee, named only as Joe on the site, posted a few unwise remarks about his work at “Bastardstone’s” and a character there called “Evil Boss”. The company confirmed that “he was dismissed because of this blogsite” and will not comment further.

The dismissal may prove to be a serious mistake. Freedom of expression on the internet is a hot topic at present, and other bloggers have been fired, too. Details of his dismissal have appeared on Joe’s site to howls of outrage. For a bookseller to have fallen into the trap of squashing free speech on the internet seems especially foolish.

DAVID PAGE, the former PizzaExpress boss who we last heard of agreeing to run naked across Tower Bridge after losing a bet, spends much of his day driving about London in his top-of-the-line Range Rover, ferreting out sites for his Clapham House restaurant group. But all that is about to change, as Page swaps four wheels for two.

Next month he will tour India on a Royal Enfield Bullet in the Enduro India charity motorcycle ride. Back home, Page is taking delivery of a Vespa scooter. “Ken Livingstone’s forced me down this route. I've been clamped and towed away too many times.”

Will he be using the scooter every day? “When it’s not raining.” So that’s a no, then?

Telling it like it is

“HAVING left the City, I can tell the truth,” thunders Sir Howard Davies, former chairman of the Financial Services Authority, on being asked by a rival publication what he thinks of journalists.

No one in the City pays them any attention, he claims, but “no one says so, of course, just in case the reptiles exact revenge”. Plus, over the years, about half of what was written about him was factually wrong.

Sir Howard adds pompously: “While obviously not an occupation for a gentleman, journalism is an entertaining hobby.” Howard, two thoughts. First, if you treat people with contempt, don’t expect them to be nice about you.

And while you may still carry a chip on your shoulder about your north Manchester upbringing, this is the 21st century, and there’s no need to come on like one of the more reactionary members of the Mitford clan.

PERHAPS Center Parcs, which yesterday announced a £400,000 loss from flooding at its Cumbrian site, should look further afield. Biosphere 2, the huge sealed greenhouse in Arizona, has been put up for sale.

The site was used for a biological experiment in 1991, when eight volunteers were sealed off from the outside world for two years to see if they could survive in a viable ecosystem.

The project cost more than $200 million to build. Potential uses could include a golf course, a spa or a technology park.

Or, this being the US, it could go to a religious organisation.

city.diary@thetimes.co.uk

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