WE KNOW it’s open season on bankers – and long may that continue – but CBI regional chairman Alan White really landed one below the belt during his introduction to the organisation’s Merseyside dinner guest speaker, RBS chief executive Stephen Hester last week.

Mr Hester, below, was wearing his hair shirt, expressing contrition for the terrible mess we’re in due to his industry’s financial madness – and surely, shouldn’t it be his predecessor, one of the UK’s richest pensioners, Sir Fred Goodwin, who should be touring the country taking the flak anyway?

But, in his preamble, Mr White outlined Mr Hester’s impressive CV, before going “off message” to reveal that he had done his own research into his honoured guest via the internet and discovered that his two favourite groups were Mungo Jerry and Status Quo.

Ouch, Mr White, you really know how to hit a man when he’s down.

TRADING Gossip likes to help where we can, so for the city’s restaurateurs and barmen we will provide an explanation for their very quiet week.

Lavish entertainers Dougal Paver and Martyn Best, from city PR agency Paver Smith, are spending four days trekking across the Pyrenees to the top of Monte Perdido.

And hospitality’s loss is one hospice’s gain, as the daring duo – accompanied by Liverpool playwright Fred Lawless – are raising money for Claire House Children’s Hospice.

It’s the third time they will have taken the high ground in order to get their hands in your wallets and purses, and have raised £30,000 on previous treks.

To donate this time, go to www.justgiving.com/dougalandfred.

Please give as much as you can afford – then they’ll go again next year.