Stressed hacks lose extra hour’s kip for pastries
IT IS not often that major European banking studies are released in the tranquil hours of a Sunday morning.
But that’s what happened yesterday when the European Banking Authority dragged the City’s press corp out of bed for a 9.20am briefing on their capital buffers study.
With no chance to benefit from the extra hour in the land of nod, hungry hacks were looking forward to a prompt start and a bacon buttie at the authority’s office on Old Broad Street. Alas – and perhaps in keeping with the European theme – the EBA folks laid on a continental breakfast, complete with raspberry swirls, croissants and coffee. With not a sausage or egg in sight.
With our bleary-eyed scribblers locked in a room, all eyeing up the last crumbs of the croissants, the time ticked on.
With no wifi or internet access to occupy our impatient reporters – to prevent any leaks of the report – the fidgeting kicked in.
It took a full half an hour before a hastily printed press release was rushed into the clammy, impatient hands and another 20 minutes for the briefing to begin.
Remind me why I don’t like Sundays.