Is Forte planning a life of leisure?

The Diary could swear it spotted the beleaguered hotelier, Rocco Forte, last Friday – just hours before Forte Plc published a document in defence of Granada’s hostile bid for the company. That defence has already cost the organisation tens of millions of pounds.

But Sir Rocco was not emerging from one of his flagship hotels, nor from the offices of the legion lawyers he has drafted in.

He was exiting through the swing door of the ESN Pension Management Group.

Perhaps Sir Rocco is checking that he’ll still have enough money left to pay for his pension.