"I thought Stephen Hendry's idea of moving it every year to different places was quite good, " said Holt.

BBC: SPORT | Other Sport | Snooker | Holt gears up for Hunter reunion

The chief executive of Birmingham City Council, Stephen Hughes, liked the thought experiment.

BBC: Should Britain let go of London?

It thus seems that neither of the two highly regarded co-presidents he appointed recently, Zoe Cruz and Stephen Crawford, is yet thought ready to lead the firm.

ECONOMIST: UnfulPhilled