Enemies joined in knighthood

It could have been a golden new business opportunity… Some time ago, Martin Sorrell attempted to persuade Alan Sugar to sample the services of WPP.

It could have been a golden new business opportunity…

Some time ago, Martin Sorrell attempted to persuade Alan Sugar to sample the services of WPP. But the Beast of Brentwood was having none of it. In typical pithy fashion, he described all advertising executives as a bunch of… well, the word rhymes with “bankers”, as he closed the unpromising conversation.

Now fast-forward to last week. The place, Buckingham Palace; the occasion, the official investiture of knighthoods. As Sir Alan rubbed shoulders with other newly ennobled luminaries, who should he bump into, but Sir Martin.

An awkward silence followed not, mercifully, punctuated by any reference to the subject of advertising. Instead, the two knights confined themselves to anodyne small talk about England’s pathetic performance as a team. Although, come to think of it, “pathetic” was probably not among the words that came to Sir Alan’s lips.