Pembroke: DIY chain in brush with security guards

DIY enthusiasts will no doubt be shocked to learn that B&Q, the second home of the paint stripper and Rawlplug fraternity, will today feature in a High Court winding-up petition. The case was brought by Guarda Security, a London security company. But before shareholders in Kingfisher, B&Q's owner, start wondering what Sir Geoff Mulcahy is up to, fear not. The company is not going bust.

According to B&Q, the complaint arose from a dispute over 'a small amount' but was resolved earlier this month. The petition will be read out in court but dismissed by mutual agreement. Guarda Security declined to comment yesterday.

It is not exactly mufti day, but it's a start. Burmah Castrol has relaxed its dress code. Though no formal announcement has been made, staffers at the oil company's Swindon head office have been told that from now on, a suit is not necessary. Sports jackets and trousers will be acceptable but a shirt and tie are still required. 'It's not a big deal,' says a smart yet casual Burmah man. 'We are a very international company and we have a number of people coming over from France and the United States who do not wear suits. We are just bringing ourselves into line.'

Jeans and trainers are still out of the question.

Nice to see that the Savoy Group is continuing its mission of brightening up the company annual report. Its 1993 accounts come prefaced, not by a tedious chairman's statement but by a mouth-watering set of recipes. The dishes are chosen by the group's top chefs, including David Sharland at the Savoy Grill and Marjan Lesnik at Claridge's. Each recipe comes with full instructions and a glossy picture. 'We always try and do something a bit different and it gives an added use for the annual report,' the Savoy explained. File in the kitchen next to Delia Smith and Mrs Beaton.

Beancounters continue to get their glasses steamed up over the 500th anniversary of chartered accountancy. At its annual dinner on Monday the Institute of Chartered Accountants served up a new dessert by Prue Leith called Institute Pudding. Next month it is planning a musical extravaganza at Chartered Accountants Hall with a performance by Gothic Voices, an early music ensemble. The gig is a scoop, says the ICA. Gothic Voices enjoy 'near pop-star status' on the Continent and the concert will be the ensemble's first since alto Margaret Philpot underwent surgery for a hip relacement.

Oxford Playhouse will not have seen anything like it. Forget your Hamlet and your Henry V, tonight the curtain will lift on Agenda], a full blown production based on the world of commerce.

The credit, or blame, for this idea goes to the Heart of England Training and Enterprise Council, which believes a bit of theatre is the best way to hammer home some key business messages. So for the next three nights audiences pulled from companies such as Rover and Unipart will sit through the story of a failed family business. Put together by Peter Reeves, a former Andrew Lloyd-Webber collaborator, the show will weave in bits of modern management theory, including how to inspire a high-performance workforce. 'It's really quite powerful,' insists a backstage helper.

Harry Truman's old presidential yacht has not had the best of treatment in recent times. The USS Williamsburg was accidently sunk in 1966 and has wasted away the last few years as a gift shop on the Potomac river. Now it is to be restored to its former glory. The vessel, which was used to entertain high ranking politicians such as Winston Churchill at President Truman's floating poker parties, arrived in Italy yesterday for a dollars 65m refurbishment. It should be back on the ocean waves in two years.

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