26 JANUARY 1985, Page 19

Initial allowance B TR, Dunlop's suitor, started life appropriately enou g h as

Birmingham Tyre and Rubber — something which escaped the memory of Tilling's chairman when he was struggling to ward BTR's attentions off. The Tilling general meeting was the sort of occassion which must make directors feel that capitalism is wasted on the typical shareholder. A lady rose, quavering, to ask him: could he explain, please, what the initials BTR stood for? No (he said), well, er, that was to say, perhaps that question might be answered by Till- ing's managing director, Sir Patrick Meaney? Sir Patrick, grinning, bounced to his feet with a wicked suggestion: 'Bust Tilling and Run.'

Christopher Fildes