A strange whisper was doing the rounds over the weekend that John Kelly, the founder and former chairman of Gala Coral, might be set for a return to the debt-laden betting and gaming group as part of its impending refinancing. The theory was that Kelly, who handed over the reins to Neil Goulden less than a year ago, was being lined up for a return to his old role by the backers of a proposed £540 million debt-for-equity swap.

Sources close to the company rubbished the idea last night, however, insisting that no one had spoken to Kelly about it, that he and Goulden remained on close terms and that there was no question of any kind of coup. “If someone were to ask John whether he would be willing to come back and help Gala, I’m sure he’d say he’d consider helping. But nobody has approached him and asked him whether he’d come back as chairman. It is simply untrue.”

Despite its slightly wobbly financial position, my source insisted that Gala should not be ruled out as a possible bidder for the Tote now that it is about to come up for grabs again. “It would be complicated but it could be woven into the refinancing.”

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels may be listed and headquartered in London, but its power base has always resided in Singapore with Kwek Leng Beng, its chairman and 53 per cent shareholder. Which helps to explain its willingness to enter territories that Western rivals would normally think twice about. It recently signed a deal to open a hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is actively looking for sites in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. But its latest deal breaks new ground, in every sense. It has just won contracts to run three hotels in Iraq, the first international chain to enter the country.

Network Rail has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of using level crossings. To judge by the excuses given by people jumping lights or weaving round barriers, it has its work cut out. “I thought the train would slow down to let me through,” said one. Another comment was: “Lights? No, I don’t bother looking at them, I only stop when the barriers start coming down — I wouldn’t want to damage the car.” But the prize for the best goes to the driver who said: “I thought that the train driver was giving way to me when he sounded his horn.” It’s enough to make one feel sympathy for Network Rail. Well, almost.

Keeping up appearances, City of London-style

Sales at the City clinic of The Harley Medical Group, Britain’s biggest purveyor of cosmetic surgery, have been static of late, but that could be about to change. A 24 per cent jump in inquiries has been driven by men seeking surgical procedures such as tummy tucks and man boob reductions. Two things occur to me: the clinic’s location, in Great Street Thomas Apostle, is two minutes’ walk from Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan; we are also, as it happens, approaching City bonus season. It seems clear that, even in these more austere times, the £5,295 cost of a tummy tuck is being seen in the City as a mere snip.

Man with a passion for UK plc

In the blue corner: Digby Jones

Lord Jones of Birmingham, the former CBI director-general, has not let the grass grow under his feet since quitting as a minister last year. Yesterday he added the job of senior adviser to Harvey Nash, the recruitment and IT group, to his increasingly plural portfolio.

The peer, better known as Digby Jones, is a man whose name is usually accompanied by the epithet “controversial”. He quit as Trade and Investment Minister last year after 15 months amid persistent questions over his support for Gordon Brown.

Known as a man who likes to do things his own way, Jones took the Labour whip into the Lords as part of the Prime Minister’s “Government of all the talents”, but, to the astonishment of many Labour MPs, did not join the party. He also had a patchy voting record.

No sooner had he quit than Jones accused the Government of failing to offer the car industry more protection in the downturn.

Jones is also chairman of the international business advisory board at HSBC, chairman of Triumph Motorcycles and corporate ambassador for Jaguar and JCB, the construction equipment manufacturer.

Albert Ellis, Harvey Nash’s chief executive, praised the peer for “his passion for British businesses and his belief that UK plc can make the difference”. He should know. During Jones’s tenure at the CBI, the group sponsored its annual conference and was involved in its employment polls.

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