A fun, part-time job is on offer for someone with a degree of financial acumen and of a spiritual bent. St Paul’s Cathedral is looking for a “Lay Canon — Finance”. This is the equivalent of a non-executive director, and you also get to participate in services.

“A Lay Canon at St Paul’s is a full member of the Dean and Chapter and fully participates in all aspects of life of the Cathedral, including its primary function as a place of worship,” a spokeswoman tells me. “There are three Lay Canon positions at St Paul’s, each with particular responsibilities.” This one deals with finance and governance.

The role was first held by Peter Chapman, appointed in 2000, but he is retiring. You would, understandably, have to be baptised or confirmed as an Anglican or be a member of an equivalent church, and have at least ten years’ experience as a partner in a professional practice or at boardroom level. St Paul’s has spent about £40 million on redecoration and refurbishment in recent years, and you would help in future fund-raising. A great job for a former banker looking for an exit from the woes of the sector.

Researcher needed for a foregone conclusion

A job that I reckon even I could do. The US Chamber of Commerce, one of the main opponents of healthcare reform in the US, has allegedly sought to hire a “respected economist” to study the subject, and the pluses and minuses of same. An e-mail that somehow leaked out to the press, states that in return for $50,000, the said respected economist would be required to circulate to other economists for their endorsement a statement that the proposed reforms “will kill jobs and hurt the economy”. Thereby taking the agony out of any actual research required by stating beforehand what the outcome of the study should be. What could be simpler?

Early Madoff

In the blue corner: Henry Fauntleroy

Henry Fauntleroy was the Bernard Madoff of his time, and the last Englishman to be hanged for forgery at Newgate Prison. He was as famous as Madoff in his day, and 100,000 people fought to get the best view of his execution in 1824 — well, there were only about four terrestrial TV channels in those days, and not much else to do.

Fauntleroy, a banker and son of the founder of Marsh, Sibbald and Co, was aged 40 on his death and had debts of £250,000, or £17.5 million today. He sold his clients’ stock without their consent and spent much of the money on mistresses, gambling, wine and cigars. (The rest he wasted. An old joke, I know.) This coin commemorating his execution is on sale through the dealer Timothy Millett for £500 at this week’s Olympia Fine Art and Antiques Fair. It is inscribed with the words: “Such be the Fate of all Insolvent Bilking Bankers and Agents”. It’s the only language they understand.

Paul Charles, director of corporate communications for Virgin Atlantic, is off to a management job in Lewis PR. The rumour is that he might return to Virgin to run one of its businesses. “Maybe in a few years’ time,” he concedes. And is it also true that bitter rival British Airlines has been trying to poach you for your inside knowledge of Virgin? “Ha, ha, ha. I’m not going to comment.” That’s a yes, then.

O tempora, O mores! Oh why can’t the young spell any more? The Gadget Helpline, the online advice provider, found that large numbers of people were misspelling its site name and failing to connect. It set up alternative addresses gajithelpline, gagithelpline and gagethelpline, which redirect to the real site. Result: business up 5 per cent, mainly from 18- to 21-year-olds.

Do you have a diary story? city.diary@thetimes.co.uk

Times Recommends

• ‘Lame duck’ fear for FSA as chief quits
• Storm over bailout of EU's most ailing economy
• Northern Rock to drop 100% savings guarantee