It's been a period for emotional farewells recently. As investment banks merge, sell or close down, several familiar names have disappeared for good. Over the past few months we have said goodbye to BZW, NatWest Markets and Peregrine.
Now we send all our best wishes to those at the investment banks formerly known as James Capel, Hoare Govett and Deutsche Morgan Grenfell - their names, and in some cases a fair number of jobs as well, being sacrificed to the greater parental good.
Maurice Thompson, who was lured to head up investment banking at DMG from Warburg's in 1995, obviously found the emotion too much to handle and resigned at the end of February - the fact that they gave his job to Bill Harrison is neither here nor there.
DMG tried to keep him, offering such lucrative positions as janitor and tea maker (according to one witty insider). But he decided to leave, and is rumoured to be about to walk the oat trail - an Alpine trek from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn.
If he stays away for too long, is there a danger that he might not recognize the names of any banks he might like to apply to?
Possibly, but if past experience in London is anything to go by, it shouldn't be a problem, as long as he just rings directory enquiries.