David Lloyd Leisure, which these days is run by Scott Lloyd, son of the eponymous founder, is looking for a new human resources executive and has asked the headhunters Strategic Dimensions to help to fill the post.

The job, on the Changeboard website, gives a neat potted history of the company, from its establishment in 1982, to its sale to Whitbread in 1995 and its merger last year with Scott Lloyd's Next Generation Clubs chain under the auspices of London & Regional and HBOS. It goes on to add: “David Lloyd Leisure is also currently acquiring the Esporta racquets clubs.”

Fascinating stuff. Particularly as, to my knowledge, the sale of the collapsed Esporta business has yet to be concluded. It is true that David Lloyd has been tipped as a potential buyer of Esporta's 18 tennis clubs, while LA Fitness and Bannatyne Group have been mooted as buyers of its bog-standard fitness clubs.

While a deal with the administrators of Esporta does look highly likely, let's hope it does actually happen. The main task of whoever gets the job will be to help with “the potential integration of the Esporta businesses”.

Well, he would say that now, wouldn't he

Miles Templeman, director-general of the Institute of Directors, is famous for making Stella Artois one of Britain's top consumer brands. But I hadn't realised that, during his brief stint at Bulmers, the cidermaker later swallowed by Scottish & Newcastle, he also suggested launching Bulmers Original as an over-ice rival to Magners. Or so he tells The Publican.

— You'd have thought GKN might have been a tad too busy yesterday to worry about a petty feud with an analyst, what with a profit warning and 1,400 job cuts. David Rood, GKN's head of investor relations, barred Sanjay Jha at Pali International from the conference call because of a “sell” note issued by the analyst in July. Pali's Chris McGale tells me that Rood was persuaded to change his mind “perhaps after considering FSA rules on information disclosure”.

— Those planning to pop into the Westfield London shopping centre and buy a Louis Vuitton handbag when it opens its doors on Thursday will be disappointed. According to Drapers, the industry journal, the flagship Louis Vuitton boutique will be one of several stores that will not be ready for the launch. Louis Vuitton insists the store will open, but is unable to supply an opening date. Shoppers will have to make do with the likes of House of Fraser, Debenhams and Next.

A fresh game
In the blue corner: James Packer

The news that James Packer is leaving the board of PBL Media rings down the curtain on a 90-year association between the Packers and the media. The family's empire traces its roots to Packer's great-great grandfather, Clyde, a Sydney journalist who bought a stake in the defunct newspapers Smith's Weekly and Daily Guardian.

The baton was handed to his grandfather, Sir Frank Packer, then to his father Kerry, under whose stewardship PBL became best known for its ownership of Nine Network. But it was his father's other main interest — gambling — that attracted James and he has increasingly been focusing on the family's Crown casino business, selling a large chunk of PBL to CVC close to the top of the market.

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