He trained with Marks & Spencer after reading geography at University College, London, and lists his interests as "fell walking, photography, reading and rugby".He takes over BAA's 250 shops just as the European Union kicks duty-free shopping into touch next year. We then watched entranced as a young lady dressed up as the the pneumatic Lara Croft computer character leapt down the museum steps blasting her gun at the assembled nerds.Mr Pratchett said that he been a keen player of both Tomb Raider One and|Two, and looked forward to locking horns with the new version.IF ANY further proof were needed that airports are rapidly turning into shopping malls with a few runways attached, BAA has hired a man who has previously headed Burton, Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins to run its duty- free operation.Steve Longdon, 46, takes over as chief executive of the company's duty and tax-free shopping business, World Duty Free, on 16 November He arrives from Arcadia Group, which used to be Burton. Shame.WHAT A pleasure it was to bump into Terry Pratchett, the author of the popular "Discworld" fantasy novels, at the launch of the Tomb Raider Three computer game at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington last week.The diminutive, eccentric, plummy voiced and thoroughly amusing author was sporting his usual floppy hat as he told me that his next novel will be on the Discworld theme with "elements of Blade Runner" mixed in. Will he take this opportunity to urge the rest of the industry to follow his lead?"Mr Lyons will not be addressing the conference. It was felt it was inappropriate to continue with it [after the decision to sell]," an NPI spokesman tells me. And Mr Burns' birthday on 7 November is the same as Russia's October Revolution( using the Russian calendar). I'm sure this all has something to do with feng shui...ALASTAIR LYONS, chief executive of NPI, the mutual insurer which won't be mutual for much longer, is due to give a speech later this month - on the joys of mutuality.The dark-glass wearing Mr Lyons accepted an invitation from the Insurance Institute in February to address its annual conference on 28 October on the subject "Demutualisation: What it means to the life and pensions industry."Then on Friday, 2 October, Mr Lyons unexpectedly ditched his attachment to mutuality and hoisted a "For Sale" sign above NPI Half a dozen institutions have entered the auction so far.

He also shares Mr Trapp's birthday.Just to complete the coincidences, Mr Batey's birthday on 1 July is the same as the beginning of China's cultural revolution. Mr Batey has lived there since 1986 and speaks fluent Mandarin, for example.Mr Batey, born in 1958, went to Oxford with the likes of Tory leader William Hague and Guy Hands, Nomura's financial wizard - and our very own Roger Trapp.Spookier still, Mr Burn went to the same school as the lucky Mr Trapp - Brentwood School in Essex. The former Tory leader is a special consultant to the firm and Ian Hay Davison, the former Lloyd's of London boss, is a non-executive director. Sir Edward played a key role in rebuilding links with China when he was premier, and Batey Burn sells itself very much as an expert adviser in trade with that vast country. Mr Batey co-founded Batey Burn with Richard Burn in 1989, after both men had completed successive stints as Sir Edward's parliamentary private secretary. Old Monk, created by Gerry Martin (whose brother, Tim, runs JD Wetherspoon) has 18 managed pubs Profits in its last year were pounds 488,000.. LOBBYISTS WITH close links to Westminster are not the flavour of the month, which makes it all the more impressive that Peter Batey, who runs his own investor relations firm in collaboration with Sir Edward Heath, collects an OBE today. Chicago-based Huntingdon Partners and one Samuel H Ellis have acquired 8.6 million shares and now have 20.5 per cent.

Most of the shares appear to come from Franklin Resources, a US group, which sold 9.9 per cent. Huntingdon and friends have been keen buyers this year; Wace, now 26p, was 40p in April.OLD MONK Co, a pubs chain, has braved the turbulent stock market and dealings should start today The company sold shares at 60p. Stockbroker Beeson Gregory managed to place just under 1.5 million, although non-executive director Ray Martin helped things along by subscribing for 266,000. The shares plunged 40 per cent to 73.5p after it revealed takeover talks were off and profits would be below expectations.SEAQ VOLUME: 768.4mSEAQ TRADES: 57,104GILT INDEX: 110.88 -0.47THERE SEEMS to be a deep transatlantic fascination for Wace, the struggling printer. Regulatory approval for the Victoria Wine-Threshers off-licence merger left the respective owners Allied Domecq a shade lower at 475p and Whitbread 26p off at 773p. Another deal given Westminster sanction was the merger of Alvis, the military vehicle group, with GKN's defence side.

Alvis reversed 2.5p to 176.5p.De La Rue, the security printer, hardened 4p to 186.5p on rumours of a Microsoft strike. The company said it had not had a formal approach.Next, the fashion chain, was cut 13.75p to 461.25p after Tiger Management, the hedge fund which had been a persisted buyer of its shares, sold 4.35 million, reducing its stake to 10.99 per cent.The day's worst display came from Brooke Industrial, an engineer. Indeed it complained it had "been pestered for some time" but was not interested in a deal which would, in effect, amount to Tie Rack buying the sock retailer. Clyde Blowers, an engineer, jumped 77.5p to 137.5p after it revealed an approach at 165p; W Canning was another celebrating bid feelers, up 74p at 228.5p.Hard-pressed Tie Rack confirmed approaches from Sock Shop. Halifax, said to be seeking a healthcare acquisition, fell 12p to 775p.Corporate action bubbled on the under card. "The options are greater now than they were a few months ago," he told a retail banking conference.He added: "The gap between winners and losers has accelerated in the past few months and shake-out like this give rise to golden opportunities."Lloyds, which has made no secret of its predatory ambitions, fell 13p to 727p but Barclays firmed 20p to 11,50p. Discussing corporate activity in the financial sector, he said market volatility will provide more opportunities for bids and deals.

It has also taken the axe to next year's estimate, chopping from pounds 350m to pounds 295m.Banks failed to draw much strength from takeover talk from Sir Brian Pitman, chairman of cash-rich Lloyds TSB. Imperial Chemical Industries was another feeling the analytical pinch - this time from Sutherlands. The stockbroker expects third-quarter profits of pounds 62m on Thursday (against pounds 132m) and has reduced its year's forecast to pounds 296m. Weekend stories suggested a merger with Royal Ahold, the Netherlands chain.