TONY O'Reilly was in fine form at the Waterford Wedgwood annual meeting in London, where there was a good collection of shareholders and even more PR people and assorted hangers on.

Many Irish bankers and stockbrokers showed up, keen to show the face and shake the hand of the good doctor who was making his first appearance at the annual meeting season following his illness over Christmas.

Dr O'Reilly is rather enjoying issuing thinly veiled threats to company management about meeting his "chairman's challenge" for the year 2000, which is to increase sales to a $1 billion a year.

Following a video showing scenes from all the company's major markets, Dr O'Reilly happily informed Wedgwood chief Brian Patterson that it was the Tower of London for aim if he didn't meet his targets.