Bankers who left the industry during the downturn have been getting up to some interesting things. Matthew Clements, an economist at Prebon Yamane, left last year to set up an economics publishing business.

At the same time, he founded a music agency, Jazz in the City, to help lighten up all those tedious City of London black-tie dinners, awards ceremonies and Christmas parties (www.jazzinthecity.co.uk). The downside is that Clements, who plays piano and performs with one of the groups he represents, may end up spending his evenings back with the same crowd of bankers and brokers he just escaped from.