I was, to be frank, preening myself a little on my prudence and foresight. He thought for a few seconds, did some quick mental calculations and replied, no, my fund would have been slightly larger if I had left it as it was. At any rate I had enjoyed, as I continue to enjoy, relative peace of mind. But it only goes to show what a tricky business capitalism is
More from Alan Watkins.

Brazil, long castigated as an environmental villain, last week launched an extraordinary bid to save this year’s Earth Summit from disaster. President Mbeki flew straight from the meeting to the G8 Summit in Canada to try to persuade the leaders of the world’s richest countries to get behind the summit.Earlier this month, the last preparatory negotiations, in Bali, Indonesia, ended in almost total failure as a result of the intransigence of the Untied States, backed by Australia, Japan and Canada. Top UN officials here warned that if the Johannesburg summit failed, the world’s entire international negotiating system would be at risk.President Cardoso’s initiative marks an big turnaround for Brazil, which was the most outspoken advocate of environmental destruction at the first summit in Stockholm, arguing that pollution should be welcomed because it accompanied economic growth. The country has been one of the main targets of environmental campaigners because of the felling of tropical rain forests in Amazonia. The President admitted that his country’s previous stance had been “terrible”, “abominable” and “insane”.Jonathan Lash, the president of the prestigious World Resources Institute, described the initiative as “the best hope for saving the summit in Johannesburg, and also the last hope”..

Last Sunday, as Dwain Chambers sat in the steeplechase water-jump at the Parc des Sports in Annecy, with the European Cup in one hand and a Union Jack in the other, it was suggested that Britannia’s track and field team captain ruled the waves “Britannia rules the waves?” he pondered, chuckling “That’s good, man. That’s good.”

Last Sunday, as Dwain Chambers sat in the steeplechase water-jump at the Parc des Sports in Annecy, with the European Cup in one hand and a Union Jack in the other, it was suggested that Britannia’s track and field team captain ruled the waves “Britannia rules the waves?” he pondered, chuckling “That’s good, man. That’s good.”
One week later, Britannia’s fastest is ruling the sprint lanes – for the time being, at least. Before he settles into his starting blocks at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield this afternoon, Chambers will have the European Cup in his hands again, parading with the rest of Britain’s Annecy heroes at the start of the Norwich Union Classic. He will also be clutching the scalp of the world’s fastest man – strictly in the metaphorical sense, of course.The Belgrave Harrier’s victory in the 100m at the Bislett Games in Oslo on Friday night was not his first against Maurice Greene. In July 2000 he was one of four men who finished ahead of the jet-lagged world record holder in the GB v USA match on a windswept day in Glasgow. He beat Greene again on a cold, wet afternoon at Gateshead the following month, in the Norwich Union Classic of 2000.