Taking Stock - Bowled over: Sir Eddie stumps listeners with seamless speech

Bank of England governor Sir Eddie George is a man of many talents.

But he has never quite enjoyed the reputation as some of his peers.

Shadow work and pensions secretary David Willetts, for instance, is a man known to colleagues as ‘two-brains’ despite writing the last Tory manifesto. Financial Services Authority chairman Sir Howard Davies meanwhile, was once described as one given to reviewing several books before breakfast.

But Sir Eddie might find himself elevated to those dizzy heights after TS reveals a hitherto hidden talent nursed by the ‘guvnor’. Forced to make a speech while England were involved in an important cricket match some months ago, Sir Eddie asked colleagues to pass him, furtively, scoring updates while speaking.

Even as he digested each update, attendees report failing to notice any change in his demeanour as he continued to extol the virtues of economic stability with barely a pause. Hats off to him.