It was one of the most evocative ads of all time, a hymn to the good old days, a boy on a bike delivering hearty, ol'-fashioned Hovis bread up an impossibly steep cobbled hill to the sound of a Yorkshire brass band torturing a classical piece by Dvorak. And it helped to launch the career of its director, one Ridley Scott.

Yes, him, the master behind such blockbusters as Blade Runner, Gladiator, Alien and Thelma and Louise. Well, in keeping with the nostalgia theme, Hovis, aka Premier Foods, the brand's owner, aka Robert Schofield, its chief executive, wants to rediscover the success Scott delivered in 1973 and persuade the great man to film a new generation of Hovis ads for its next campaign, in September.

No matter that Premier, like most other consumer goods companies, is feeling the pinch as consumers tighten their purse strings, credit crunch, high street showdown, blah blah blah.

When asked if Scott was the cheapest option, Mr Schofield joked: “We're hoping he will do it out of sentiment.” Perhaps for the same price he was paid in 1973? “Not a bloody chance!” That would be a “no”, then.

It appears that the power of the gaming industry is so great that even ageing rock stars looking to make a comeback are turning to computer games for their grand relaunch. Guns N' Roses, of November Rain and Sweet Child O' Mine fame, are reportedly aiming to do just that. Shackler's Revenge, a track from the band's Chinese Democracy album, is set to be used on the computer game Rock Band 2. While some songs have already leaked online, this official comeback - when Rock Band 2 is released for the Xbox 360 - is believed to be lined up for September.

Fitness First members face a hike in the battle to keep trim. A group yomp across the moors, then? Sadly not. Letters dropping this week show, that, as inflation bites, even the chain's basic memberships will rise by 5 per cent from next month.

“In common with many other UK businesses, we are being forced to review our prices as a result of the recent rises in energy costs,” John Gamble, Fitness First's UK managing director, writes. “We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to minimise any extra cost to you through an energy reduction programme.”

Let's hope that this energy reduction doesn't rub off on its members, or Fitness First could soon see a severe shortage of membership renewals.

I hear that 80 people turned up at the J Sainsbury annual meeting yesterday, despite the supermarket chain choosing to “try something new” and hold its bash in Birmingham. It appears that shareholders are not too bothered that the shares were priced at almost 600p early last year but closed yesterday at 271p.

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