Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Painter Darren Everest (circled) and his four fellow music-loving decorators were singing during a tea break while working in Oxford Street, London, when they were spotted by a talent scout from Warner Music.

They have since been offered a five-album deal with the record company, whose artists include Madonna. The old-school vocal group, called The Overtones, formed painting and decorating company Classical Interiors UK Ltd so that they could earn money and rehearse at the same time.

Paul Mann, a former executive director at UBS Wealth Management, has joined Bank Hapoalim to head its UK private banking division.

Mr Mann, 42, is hoping to increase the Israeli bank's market share. He tells People: "It's fabulous. It's a very mature business and there is a real positive 'can do' attitude here.

"I have come in to give it a boost and do some more."

He says: "I am probably more motivated and enthusiastic than I have been for years."

Dublin's Ray Rivlin has created her own simplified version of the Haggadah.

Inspired by her son Alan, who is a resident of the Leeds Rainbow Project, Mrs Rivlin decided to modify the Haggadah to make it more accessible to people with learning difficulties.

She tells People: "During Pesach last year I took the second Seder for the residents and simplified it for them. They seemed to like it and it struck me that it would be a good idea to write it down."

Know how to say "To be or not to be" in Somali? Teacher Richard Benn does. The 40-year-old, who is head of English at Silver-dale comprehensive school in Sheffield, has teamed
up with his colleagues - and pupils - to translate William Shakespeare's works into the Somali
language.

They have founded the The Somali Shakespeare Company - a community-based group established to promote Somali-language theatre and culture. Around 16 per cent of students at Silverdale are Somali. Glasgow-born Mr Benn tells People: "My colleague was out for

Triathlete Sara Davis is stepping up a gear. The 37-year-old single mother is preparing to compete in an ironman competition. Ms Davis, an in-house lawyer, will swim 3.8km, cycle 180km and run 42.2km (a full marathon) during the contest, which takes place in Austria next summer. She says: "Everyone thinks I am the biggest meshuganah going, butI love it.

Do you know that Gol Airlines flies in Brazil and Hainan Airlines flies in China? Manchester's Rafi Neumann does.

He has written songs for Elvis Presley, screenplays for the BBC and music for Miss Marple. But now, Ken Howard, a leading composer and film producer, has turned his hand to a different sort of writing - teenage fiction.

His debut book, The Young Chieftain, is about a black American teenager called Jamie. When his dad is killed, he and his mother travel from their Los Angeles home to a remote Scottish island to bury him. Jamie finds himself at the heart of ancient feuds, which put his life at risk.

Solicitor Emily Lew has a different case on her hands. The litigation associate at Herbert Smith is organising a 60-mile bike ride to raise money for the Gaucher's Association, a charity that supports sufferers of Gaucher's disease - a rare genetic disorder in which abnormal amounts of fats are stored in certain body cells. Around 100 cyclists will take part in the Gaucher's Association Charity Cycle Ride between London and Cambridge on Sunday September 5.