The Steeple Times

Category: OPULENCE & SPLENDOUR

Luxury and the arts From houses to cars and from Hockney to van Dyck, a profile of the best and the worst

  • Di’s Drive

    Di’s Drive

    Audi formerly owned by the late Princess of Wales (and later by LBC broadcaster Iain Dale) to be auctioned

     

    The late Princess of Wales ceased to have to use Royal Household limousines in 1992 and after that she broke free and eventually chose an Audi 2.3-litre cabriolet as her personal car. That car is now due to be auctioned by Silverstone Auctions.

     

    Delivered new from Dovercourt Audi of St John’s Wood, the 2.3-litre car finished in Gomera Pearl with Parchment leather and cream carpets was first registered on 7th March 1994. She covered 4,000 miles in it and returned it to Dovercourt shortly thereafter.

     

    The next owner of the car was the political commentator and broadcaster Iain Dale. He purchased the car in July 1994 and after “enjoying the cart and its celebrity for a couple of years” sold it on to a Kensington resident several years later.

     

    In 2013, the vehicle was sold by Coys of Kensington for £36,500 ($45,000 or €40,500). It is due to be sold again at the Classic Motor Show sale at the NEC on 12th November and this time comes with an estimate of £50,000 to £60,000 ($61,900 to $74,300 or €56,000 to €66,700).

     

    Di’s Drive – 1994 Audi 80 2.3-litre cabriolet – Princess of Wales, Princess Di, Princess Diana and Iain Dale – For sale – Silverstone Auctions – 12th November 2016Di’s Drive – 1994 Audi 80 2.3-litre cabriolet – Princess of Wales, Princess Di, Princess Diana and Iain Dale – For sale – Silverstone Auctions – 12th November 2016Di’s Drive – 1994 Audi 80 2.3-litre cabriolet – Princess of Wales, Princess Di, Princess Diana and Iain Dale – For sale – Silverstone Auctions – 12th November 2016 Di’s Drive – 1994 Audi 80 2.3-litre cabriolet – Princess of Wales, Princess Di, Princess Diana and Iain Dale – For sale – Silverstone Auctions – 12th November 2016 Di’s Drive – 1994 Audi 80 2.3-litre cabriolet – Princess of Wales, Princess Di, Princess Diana and Iain Dale – For sale – Silverstone Auctions – 12th November 2016

     

     

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  • A Winning Barber

    A Winning Barber

    Matthew Steeples visits Chelsea barber Hak Tevfik of Haks Oscar

     

    Chelsea’s World’s End used to be the haunt of the likes of the gangster and alleged lover of the late Princess Margaret, John Bindon. Now, in an age when the cast of an E4 reality show hang out at Bluebird, it’s an altogether different place.

     

    A Winning Barber – Hak’s Oscar, 319 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EP – Gentleman’s grooming

     

    In a pint-sized shop there, just before the kink in the Kings Road, master barber Hak Tevfik has set up a gentleman’s hair and shaving salon that looks as if it could be on the set of either Peaky Blinders or Ripper Street. It features dark wooden walls and a traditional barber’s chair and is a setting in which any man would feel perfectly comfortable.

     

    The Central Winner of Barber of the Year at The London Hair & Beauty Awards 2016 last week, Haks Oscar is an emporium where gents get simple yet superbly executed haircuts and shaves. It has been described as “genius” by Made in Chelsea’s Spencer Matthews and visited by others including professional boxers Barry McGuigan MBE and Carl Frampton MBE.

     

    A hair cut including a shampoo wash, cut, rinse, tonic application; head, neck and should massage; grooming with ocean salt; finishing with hair products and hand pummel ending with manicure buffing is priced at £45.

     

     

    Haks Oscar, 319 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EP. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7751 4394.

     

  • A Turtle and A Toad

    A Turtle and A Toad

    The most impressive items at PAD in Berkeley Square come in the form of items inspired by a turtle and a toad

     

    PAD in Berkeley Square, Mayfair – a well curated fair showcasing 20th century art, design and decorative arts – is open until Sunday 9th October. At the fair, the two highlights we discovered were items inspired by toads and turtles.

     

    The first – offered by Siegelson of New York and pictured above – is the Boutet de Monvel floating turtle mystery clock by Cartier. Created in Paris circa 1927, this clever and fun timepiece is composed of a hexagonal marble base in the shape of a column with a water and magnet operated clock above. It originally belonged to the portrait painter Bernard Boutet de Monvel (1881 – 1949) – whose subjects numbered Astors, Fricks, Vanderbilts and Whitneys and whom is described as a man who looked “for the luxury of simplicity”.

     

    A Turtle and A Toad – PAD London 2016, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, W1 – Boutet de Monvel mystery clock by Cartier from Siegelson and toad sculpture by Edouard Martinet from Peter Petrou

     

    A toad by the French sculptor Edouard Martinet (born 1961) is our second choice. It measures 22 cm by 23 cm by 13 cm and is made from scrap metal. It was crafted in 2015 from, amongst other things, a bronze cow bell, car lights, a purse and a water tap filter and the result is something of astonishing beauty. The toad is offered by the London based firm Peter Petrou for £18,500 ($23,000 or €20,700).

     

    To purchase tickets to the fair, click here.

     

  • Religious Pigeons

    Religious Pigeons

    Grade II* listed North Yorkshire hall for sale; it comes with a converted chapel and a converted pigeon loft

     

    £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) will barely buy a broom cupboard in Kensington and Chelsea, but for the same sum a 3,893 square foot Grade II* listed medieval hall in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

     

    Standing on a plot of 2½ acres, Kilnsey Old Hall in the picturesque village of Kilnsey, near Grassington was built as an administrative centre for the Cistercian Monks of Fountains Abbey. It was from here that they managed their grazing land and all flocks of sheep were driven to Kilnsey for their annual shearing. In 1648, the majority of the current hall was built by Christopher Wade, a relative of Armagil Wade, an adventurer who was known as the ‘Columbus of the North’. It has now been restored and certainly makes for a charming family home.

     

    In addition to there being four bedrooms in the main house, Kilnsey Old Hall comes with a former pigeon loft on the third floor and a former chapel that was converted into a stable and hayloft and now a one bedroom cottage. This has been used as a holiday let and is described as “bringing in a useful source of income”.

     

    The joint selling agents for the property are Carter Jonas and Harrison Boothman.

     

    Religious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison BoothmanReligious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison Boothman Religious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison BoothmanReligious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison BoothmanReligious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison Boothman Religious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison BoothmanReligious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison BoothmanReligious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison BoothmanReligious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison Boothman Religious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison BoothmanReligious Pigeons – Kilnsey Old Hall, Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, BD23 5PS – £925,000 ($1.14 million or €1.03 million) – Carter Jonas and Harrison Boothman

  • Bring your own seats

    Bring your own seats

    Seatless 1962 Rolls-Royce for sale for £420,000

     

    For £420,000 ($539,000 or €481,000) one would expect a car to come with a seat but a 1962 Rolls-Royce currently offered by Vintage & Prestige Fine Motor Cars currently has nothing but a wire framework.

     

    The 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II H. J. Mulliner drophead coupé was sold last in 2012 at the Gooding Auction at Pebble Beach. It was then shipped to Byrrnes Motor Trust for a full nut and bolt restoration and used as a template for a production run of twelve non-original cars.

     

    Described as being “like a brand new Rolls-Royce being delivered sixty years late”, the car’s new owner will have the option of choosing the new interior colour and mohair roof colour.

     

    Bring your own seats – 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II H. J. Mulliner drophead coupé – Vintage & Prestige Fine Motor Cars – £420,000 ($539,000 or €481,000)Bring your own seats – 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II H. J. Mulliner drophead coupé – Vintage & Prestige Fine Motor Cars – £420,000 ($539,000 or €481,000)

     

     

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  • The Last Wraith

    The Last Wraith

    Final Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith to be auctioned

     

    The final Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith to be delivered to a customer will be sold at RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale on 6th October.

     

    Offered with an estimate of £123,000 to £147,000 ($160,000 to $190,000 or €142,000 to €169,000), the 4.9-litre 1958 Silver Wraith limousine by H. J. Mulliner was ordered new by a Cuban business magnate named Enrique Godoy Sayán (1902 – 1984) and features automatic transmission, power steering and factory air conditioning.

     

    In addition, the car has blind rear quarters for a more private rear compartment, “increased capacity” air conditioning ducted through the roof, monograms on the rear doors, and an unusual factory roof rack, intended for continental touring.

     

    Though intended for use in Cuba, the car was ultimately delivered to Mr Godoy in Miami in 1960 as, after the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro seized several of his companies. He is reported to have used the car “lightly” and sold it on in 1977.

     

    The Silver Wraith how has 49,006 miles on its clock and is described by RM Sotheby’s as “one of the most significant closed Silver Wraiths ever made”.

     

    The Last Wraith – 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine by H. J. Mulliner – RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale, 6th to 7th October 2016 – £123,000 to £147,000 ($160,000 to $190,000 or €142,000 to €169,000)The Last Wraith – 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine by H. J. Mulliner – RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale, 6th to 7th October 2016 – £123,000 to £147,000 ($160,000 to $190,000 or €142,000 to €169,000)The Last Wraith – 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine by H. J. Mulliner – RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale, 6th to 7th October 2016 – £123,000 to £147,000 ($160,000 to $190,000 or €142,000 to €169,000)The Last Wraith – 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine by H. J. Mulliner – RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale, 6th to 7th October 2016 – £123,000 to £147,000 ($160,000 to $190,000 or €142,000 to €169,000)The Last Wraith – 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine by H. J. Mulliner – RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale, 6th to 7th October 2016 – £123,000 to £147,000 ($160,000 to $190,000 or €142,000 to €169,000)

     

     

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  • Training a B&B

    Training a B&B

    Converted railway station at Petworth, West Sussex complete with carriages used as B&B accommodation for sale

     

    Perfectly situated for providing accommodation for those visiting Goodwood for horse racing and motorsports, The Old Railway Station at Petworth is a B&B with a difference in that many of its rooms are in converted railway carriages. It has recently been placed for sale at the surprisingly reasonable sum of just £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million).

     

    Built supposedly to make it easier for Edward VII to go on weekend jaunts to the races in 1892 and used as a railway station until Dr Beeching closed the line to it in 1966, the station house offered was converted into a house in 1980. The current owner bought it in 2006 and has run it as an 11 bedroom boutique B&B and tearoom with 13 bathrooms.

     

    The business has achieved four gold stars from the AA and a place in TripAdvisor ‘Hall of Fame’. Net turnover was £240,000 in 2014 with a gross profit of £135,000.

     

    Of it, the current owner Gudmund Olafsson comments:

     

    “I’ve had a wonderful ten years here. I have never tired of arriving back at The Old Railway Station and taking in the sight of the beautiful buildings, but it’s time to turn it over to someone else now. It would suit a hopeless romantic with a head for business. I’ll be sorry to say goodbye, but if the next owner keeps it going as a bed and breakfast, I’ll definitely be back for a holiday”.

     

    The Old Railway Station is for sale through Chesworths.

     

    Training a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriagesTraining a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriagesTraining a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriagesTraining a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriagesTraining a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriages Training a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriages Training a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriagesTraining a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriagesTraining a B&B – The Old Railway Station, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0JF, United Kingdom – £1.5 million ($1.9 million or €1.7 million) through Chesworths – Converted railway station with Pullman carriages

     

     

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  • The No. 1 Showoff

    The No. 1 Showoff

    The most vulgar numberplate in Britain arrives in SW3

     

    Yesterday, in Walton Street, a Rolls-Royce parked opposite Scalini restaurant. There was nothing unusual about that but it’s point of difference was its numberplate.

     

    The owner of the car had chosen ‘SH10W OF’ and in doing so simply illustrated his or herself for what they truly believe themselves to be.

     

    Modesty is a fine quality and plainly this nitwit is entirely lacking in it.

     

    Showoffs – Rolls Royce Showoff SH10 OF – Scalini, Walton Street, Chelsea, SW3
    A true showoff
    Showoffs – Rolls Royce Showoff SH10 OF – Scalini, Walton Street, Chelsea, SW3
    This equally ludicrous showoff parked further down Walton Street
    Showoffs – Rolls Royce Showoff SH10 OF – Scalini, Walton Street, Chelsea, SW3
    And a little later this modest machine was spotted outside Harrods

     

     

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  • A Purist Porsche

    A Purist Porsche

    First 2016 Porsche 911 R to come to auction; it’s offered with a surprisingly reasonable estimate given the recent frenzy over Porsches

     

    In the wake of the success of 1990s Porsches at RM Sotheby’s Battersea sale earlier this month – where a 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 sold for £1 million (€1.2 million or $1.3 million) more than its pre-sale estimate – Bonhams will sell the very first 2016 Porsche 911 R to come to auction at their ‘The Zoute Sale’ at Knokke Le-Zoutte in Belgium on 7th October.

     

    The first of 991 cars – all of which were pre-sold – to be made, the example offered was delivered new to one of Porsche’s “preferred customers” in July 2016 and features what is described as the car’s key selling point – a six speed manual transmission gearbox that is lighter than Porsche’s typical double clutch gearboxes.

     

    A Purist Porsche – First auction of a 2016 Porsche 911 R – Bonhams ‘The Zoute Sale’ at Knokke Le-Zoutte in Belgium on 7th October – £210,000 to £300,000 (€250,000 to €350,000 or $273,000 to $390,000)

     

    For Bonhams, Gregory Tutyens commented:

     

    “The Porsche 911 R is a car for real purists and fully justifies the title of the most sought-after modern Porsche today. Six months ago the launch price was around £173,000 (€200,000 or $225,000), but already the Porsche 911 R is being traded at £434,000 to £520,000 (€500,000 to €600,000 or $562,000 to $675,000). We believe our very fair estimate will attract a great deal of attention from enthusiasts keen to acquire one of the rarest Porsche around”.

     

    The white with a black/brown two-tone leather interior car has an estimate of £210,000 to £300,000 (€250,000 to €350,000 or $273,000 to $390,000). It is capable of achieving 186 mph and has only been driven for 32 miles.

     

     

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  • Living like Clooney

    Living like Clooney

    Stunning villa on Lake Como for sale – Perfect for anyone who wants to live like George Cloone

     

    In London, £1,168 per square foot simply won’t buy you anything – Chelsea averages around £3,000 per square foot – but on Lake Como, you could live like George Clooney if you were to buy a villa currently on offer through Sotheby’s International Realty.

     

    Situated just 15 minutes drive from the city of Como and described as “in need of partial renovation” in typical estate agent speak, the property comes with its own wharf and stands on 0.21 acres of land. It features 5,290 square foot of accommodation and includes 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.

     

    The octagonal building is offered for £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million).

     

    Living like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million)Living like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million)Living like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million) dining-roomLiving like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million) Living like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million) Living like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million)terrace Living like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million) Living like Clooney – Via Regina Carate Urio, Como, 22010 Italy – £6.9 million ($9 million or €8 million)

     

     

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