Barbados and Mustique. Who wants to be in the Caribbean in August? If you think it is an ideal spot, think again. The humidity resembles Singapore and Kuala Lumpur at best, or Lagos at worst.

There are hurricanes or tropical storms everywhere. Airports are closed. Other people's awful children are complaining about being bitten by every flying insect. When I ask why their parents were silly enough to bring them in high summer they reply: "But mum and dad said it's the cool place to visit." When I tell them that they would be better off in Brighton or Bridlington, they look confused. On this less than memorable trip, I chanced on a story about prospects for equity analysts. The article commented on Eliot Spitzer's witchhunt against Wall Street investment banks and that, despite imposing penalties of $1.4bn, the New York state Attorney General had failed in his mission to clean up research.