Last night, more than 250 private bankers and their guests were entertained to the 3rd annual Euromoney private banking awards. GoldFing...

Last night, more than 250 private bankers and their guests were entertained to the 3rd annual Euromoney private banking awards.

GoldFinger was lucky enough to get an invitation to the awards, held in the great hall of London’s impressive Natural History Museum.

Michael Portillo, the former Conservative party grandee, was our host for the night. And he did his best to entertain us with a mixture of witty anecdotes and stories of political intrigue from his glory days as confidant of Margaret Thatcher.

Some on GoldFinger’s table felt Michael’s presentation was wearing a bit thin and the foreign contingent, of which there were many, appeared bemused with Mr Portillo’s tales from the past – a very British political past, with an emphasis on past.

Nevertheless, Mr Portillo, who appears popular with the organizers of private banking awards – compeering two years ago at the PAM awards at The Dorchester – announced the first winner: Allied Irish Bank.

Hopefully this would be for the best private bank in Ireland, but no, it was for the best private bank in Jersey offering services to corporate clients.

The awards went on in a similar vain for the next hour and a half. Some firms accepting awards send their whole team up to receive the prize, others ran up and ran off quickly – possibly embarrassed that they’d just won the prize for the best tax guidance and services in Norway, or other such ultra-specialist prize.

GoldFinger was asked to receive an award on the behalf of one bank, but politely declined.

But all credit to the winners – all of the firms receiving awards have worked hard to be best in class.

And a little over a month away, private bankers can do it all again at the annual PAM Awards.