Gala Coral, the gambling group, has caused a bit of a stink in the industry by withdrawing from all four trade associations of which it is a member. The company confirmed yesterday that it had terminated “with immediate effect” its membership of the Bingo Association, the British Casino Association, the Association of British Bookmakers and the Remote Gambling Association.

A Gala spokesman said that the company was quitting in order to focus on trying to establish an industry-wide gambling association. “This is not us withdrawing from these associations because we don't think they're very good,” he said. “We've got a new Gambling Act and a new regulator, but we have separate trade associations where there's a lot of duplication.”

Rank Group, the Mecca Bingo operator, appears to support the concept of a single association but shows no sign of wanting to follow Gala's lead for the time being. But the Bingo Association, which will lose a big chunk of its funding, is more forthright, suggesting that the question of a single body “would be more readily asked from the inside out than the outside in”.

Ronson sticks neck out on Heron Tower's future

Gerald Ronson, the property entrepreneur with a reputation for timing the property market's cycles to a tee, is frantically denying rumours that the 40-storey Heron Tower, on Bishopsgate, could be postponed. The story has gathered pace since it emerged that Mark McAlister, the letting supremo hired from CB Richard Ellis in January to find tenants for the unlet building, left the company last week. A call from one of Heron International's joint managing directors, Jonathan Goldstein, puts me straight on the matter. “We are absolutely committed to completing this building by 2011, our construction contractor is committed, our funders are committed,” he says.

Lucky break from banking

Simon Vincent, president of Hilton UK and Ireland, will on Monday be unveiled as the hotel company's new area president for Europe, giving him control of a region with 165 hotels in 31 countries - and taking him ever further from his original career path in banking.

Vincent, 45, was sponsored through university by Midland Bank and he spent five years in banking before transferring to Thomas Cook, which was then owned by the bank. “I was seconded for 12 weeks but ended up staying 12 years,” he says.

He went to Opodo, the online travel agent, as chief executive then joined Hilton in 2007, just before its $26 billion takeover by Blackstone.

His stickiest moment? “Being grilled by Anne Robinson on Watchdog when I was at Thomas Cook.”

It could have been worse - he could have stayed in banking.

Things can't be all that bad in Iceland. Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander managed to host two tables at Thursday night's AIM awards and sponsored the best newcomer category. Such benevolence did not stop Newsnight's Emily Maitlis, the compère, from having a crack at the impoverished island. “What's the capital of Iceland?” she asked. Answer? “About £2.50. Mind you, it's clearly getting worse. I heard that joke last week and the punchline was £4.50.”

The AIM awards proved a triumph for Asos, the high-flying internet fashion retailer, which picked up two awards: Best company and Best performing share over five years. Let's hope its night of glory isn't the kiss of death.

Westminster City Council has approved a plan to move the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square underground. The site, built in 1930 as the Leicester Square Theatre, is to be redeveloped as an upmarket hotel with restaurants and cafés and 33 luxury apartments. The scheme, designed by the Make practice, envisages a new two-screen Odeon in the basement. Funding permitting.

Some top Scottish business figures have written to The Scotsman calling for a rethink of the Lloyds TSB takeover of HBOS on the grounds that it could damage the economy north of the border and hurt taxpayers. I don't know how many of them rely on HBOS for funding, but I fear it is too little, too late.

Times Recommends

• C&G axed - 1,660 jobs to be lost
• UK house prices rise 1.1% as buyers return
• Mixed reaction to US banks repaying bailouts