Diamond denied his theme tune

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Diamond denied his theme tune

Barclays Capital treated 400 clients to a spectacular display of dinosaurs at the bank's annual fashion show at London's Natural History Museum last month.

After champagne and canapés surrounded by fossils, guests enjoyed a meal in the great hall, the main feature of which is a 26-metre-long skeleton of a diplodocus (lizard-hipped, lived 150 million years ago).

As if that were not enough, who should be escorted down the steps to entertain the crowd than surprise special guest star Dame Shirley Bassey resplendent in gold dress. Hey big spender indeed.

Dame Shirley can certainly still belt out a song - delivering such classics as "Goldfinger" at an impressive volume without dropping a note. But she declined to perform the number that Barclays Capital CEO Bob Diamond professes to be his favourite: yes, you guessed it - "Diamonds are Forever".

Diamond himself was on top form. When presenting HRH Prince Andrew with a donation to the Outward Bound charity, he quipped that the cheque was from "Europe's premier financial institution". After a brief pause he clarified this: "That's Barclays Capital."

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