The grapevine continues to buzz about Sir Howard Newby's unexpected departure from the Higher Education Funding Council for England to the vice-chancellorship at the University of the West of England. The question on many lips seems to be - why didn't I know about it? Two vice-chancellors spent a lengthy car journey with Sir Howard a fortnight before the news broke - and although they devoted considerable time to speculation about the job, he didn't give anything away. Another peeved vice-chancellor recalls Sir Howard mischievously suggesting that Diana Warwick, former chief executive of Universities UK, was in the running.