Friday night at Manchester's Midland Crowne Plaza saw the traditional singalong with Paul Meehan of Smart & Cook.

For three hours, bemused punters at the hotel were treated to renditions of Dreaming and American Pie for wannabe pop idols such as Perkins Slade boss David Slade.

And it was not just the passers-by who were terrified of the Meehan songbook, AXA chief executive Peter Hubbard told Backchat that he had to be initiated into the Meehan songbook club (usually accompanied by Broker Network's Grant Ellis).

He and Stuart Alexander joint managing director Stuart Reid had to get up in front of a group of baying brokers to give their best of American Pie.

"I never realised how long it goes on before," says Hubbard.

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