Pinstripe: Please allow me to introduce myself...

Hallo. My name is Sebastian Connerie and I've worked in and around the City pretty much the whole of my working life. When Hamish asked me to pen a few words every week for his magazine's interweb thing I was initially…reluctant. If there's one thing I've learnt over the years it's to keep schtum on certain issues, such as the location of a much-loved boozer, who's been seen doing what to whom and where, and of course, the imminent movement in a company's share price.

But the man I knew in the Square Mile as 'Chompers' (reasons for which are probably best kept under wraps) chortles at such reticence and is nothing if not tenacious in matters such as these. He repeatedly assured me that he wanted my observations, however large or small, and "in the raw", to boot. After much thought on my part and cajoling on his, here I am.

In the weeks and months to come I'll be offering my observations and musings regarding the goings on in your industry. I've written a few things on the trade in my time, and although most of it's out of print by now I know the pub sector reasonably well, both professionally and personally. So if I hear of something that's interesting and libel-free, I'll relay it here, twice-weekly hopefully.

Hamish tells me the system is designed so that readers can respond to what I write. So setting aside my own belief that debate is an over-rated element of democracy, do let me know what you think, should the fancy take you.

All this introductory spiel leaves me little room to offer up very much on this, my debut. That said, while reclining in a pub in the north west of the country over the weekend I did overhear conversations among certain parties concerning the possibility of Thwaites and Marston's linking up, while elsewhere rumour-mongerers have been talking of Marston's and SA Brain, not for the first time, it has to be said.

I'm sure it's all pure speculation and nefarious tittle-tattle. My spies, however, assure me otherwise.