EVEN The Margin learns something new every day. The Irish, it seems, not only prefer their bananas to be bent but, according to Fyffes Neil McCann at this week's presentation of results, eat more of them when the weather is hot.

The continentals, however, seem to prefer straight bananas but don't eat very many in the hot weather. Intriguing It all leaves little hope that the European Commission will ever get agreement on a common curvature for the Euro Nana.