In theory, Steve Johnson's new job is to save Woolworths. The former Focus DIY boss arrived yesterday and the press release had the usual guff: "He brings the strategic and operational skills the group needs to help it move to the next stage of development." (Note to whoever penned this: please don't send out such awful claptrap again).

In reality, the next stage for Woolies is probably a break-up. Chairman Richard North recently decided to hang on to the DVD publishing - but only because without it, the business looks even more pointless. Johnson's job is to slash as much costs as possible and hope that a buyer can be persuaded to take on the shops in return for the rest. He's on £550,000 a year. He'll need it.

* Woolies chairman Richard North is "delighted" as Johnson has such great credentials in "retail turnarounds". Eh? His last job was as chief executive at Focus DIY from 2003-2007, where he presided over a collapse which landed the business with close to £300 million of debt, and little hope of ever repaying it.

In 2007, Cerberus paid off something like £225 million to the debtholders and bought the equity for a quid. The first thing the private-equity house did was to "let go" of Johnson and bring in Bill Grimsey and Bill Hoskins to restructure the business. Aren't memories short?

Counting the non-dom cost

Chancellor Alistair Darling made last-minute concessions to calm things after impressive pleading from the likes of Merrill Lynch's grand fromage in the UK, Bob Wigley.

However, City Spy hears that three households in the same extended family - with a Mediterranean background - have left London because of the £30,000-a-head levy.

This is only one anecdote but it does suggest something significant is going on. Let's see how many people registered for non-dom status when the Treasury compiles its statistics...

* Awkward days at City law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. City Spy's mole reports a mini-exodus of staff in the past three months - somewhere in the region of 10 solicitors may have departed. Many of those leaving are from financial services regulation and regulatory litigation. Both areas are doing well, so why have they gone? Er, the juniors feel overworked and underpaid...

* The drying-up of merger activity has clearly left workers at Citigroup with plenty of time to practice their batting and bowling this summer. A team made up of players from its UK mergers and acquisitions and corporate broking divisions beat 11 others from rival City firms to claim the title at the annual six-a-side cricket tournament held at the Bank of England sports ground.

However, business has not slowed to a complete standstill. "Six in the Citi" lost its captain before play had even started as he was dragged back to the office following the announcement of a hostile bid for a company on his beat. And then the team was forced to find ringers after more and more of the players' BlackBerries flashed up with messages demanding their presence back in Canary Wharf.

* What do James Dean, Princess Di and Adolf Hitler have in common? They all make it on to the Fraser's Index, the list of the most expensive commonly traded autographs made by stamp dealer Stanley Gibbons's subsidiary. Dean and Bruce Lee come out on top with their signatures going for £9500, Nelson is third at £8950, Diana fourth at £8500 while Winston Churchill and Hitler tie for fifth place at £6950. Sadly, Jordan and Colleen McLoughlin don't make the cut because Fraser's deals only in the "iconic or historic" end of the market.

* Sudden move at BlackBerry. Charmaine Eggberry, the thirtysomething boss of the company in the UK and one of the few high-flying female technology executives, has abruptly departed. Industry speculation is that BlackBerry's owner, Research In Motion, is restructuring the firm.

Nothing to crow about at CBRE in 2009

The property crunch is hurting. Commercial real estate giant CB Richard Ellis has cancelled its 2009 jolly - sorry, World Conference - for clients and sponsors.

The 2007 event was held in Toronto, Canada, and was opened by singer Sheryl Crow and featured a speech from Al Gore. But alas, "In light of the current business climate and after careful consideration, we have decided to cancel the 2009 event," CBRE says on its website.

"This was not an easy decision, but one that will relieve our clients, sponsors and exhibitors of a significant expense at a time when the business community faces a challenging economic environment." It adds: "We look forward to working with you on the 2010 World Conference."

A trifle optimistic, perhaps?

* Nationwide is offering "free petrol for a year when you take out or top up a loan" before 28 September. The small print says the petrol has a financial value of £1547 - about £30 a week and not enough to fill your tank these days.

Busy blowing up a new bubble at Morgan Stanley

At Morgan Stanley, chief executive John Mack - reeling from a $12 billion subprime writedown - has told staff that investing in these new markets must be their top priority. Analysts have been ordered to drop everything and bash out investment opportunity reports for the board. So how long before this bubble bursts?

* Clear your diaries if you're ever asked to do anything for The Prostate Cancer Charity or it'll slag you off in a press release. That was Boris Johnson's fate when he politely declined to take part in its Real Man 34km cycling fundraiser, urging others to take part but pleading he had a prior engagement.

Not good enough, it seems. The charity spits out a statement, "Boris Johnson: not a real man." This tells us "the floppy-haired mayor" won't be riding and harrumphs: "At least the City is showing enthusiasm: Barclays, BT HSBC, RBS, KPMG and Allen & Overy have already signed up."