Tag: Princess Margaret

Acting & Alternators – Which ‘Famous Faces’ Have Profited Most From Their Motors?

Vintage dealer David Lennox on ‘famous faces’ who’ve made significant profits in the world of classic cars; he also gives some advice about a key feature in a classic car – its alternator

Whilst actor Rowan Atkinson’s most expensive car – www.slashgear.com was a 1997 McLaren F1 that he managed to crash twice still sold for a staggering £8.9 million ($11.1 million) sum higher than the £697,000 ($880,000) he originally bought it for new, other big and small screen stars and musicians have also profited from the motors they’ve bought.

In a world where your standard punter’s automotive purchase loses value as soon as it is driven off the forecourt and declines on average by 40% in value during its first year, many are dubious about ‘investing’ in cars. Those that dare to take a punt on a ‘classic car’ – interestingly defined in the UK by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as one aged over 15 years old – can, however, actually make significant returns.

Amongst five other examples of other classic cars connected to the world of film and television that have made megabucks are:

1 – The 1968 Ford Mustang GT that Steve McQueen drove in the cop thriller Bullitt was discarded after filming and sold for just £2,800 ($3,500) to Bob Kierman in the 1970s. It sold on for £2.7 million ($3.4 million) at a car show in Detroit – a sum 40 times as much as a ‘normal’ example. In 2020, what was termed a “respectful Bullitt homage,” a 1968 Ford Mustang in Highland green, sold at a Silverstone Auctions sale for £73,000 ($93,000); of it they added: “It should be mandatory to drive this car only in a pair of Persol 714 sunglasses.”

2 – John Lennon’s ‘psychedelic gypsy caravan’ styled 1964 Rolls-Royce Phantom V limousine cost him £6,600 ($8,300) new. He and it were attacked by a woman with an umbrella who yelled: “You swine! How can you do that to a Rolls-Royce?” but was later to sold to a Canadian billionaire named Jim Pattison for £2.4 million ($3 million) in 1985. A more ‘ordinary’ example lacking a ‘famous face’ connection sold for just £90,000 ($114,000) in 2018.

3 – A 1966 Lotus Elan S2 originally owned by actor and comedian Peter Sellers CBE sold at auction for just over £50,000 in 2015 at the NEC Classic Motor Show sale after being featured in The Steeple Times. A similar 1966 example with no connections to a ‘famous face’ is currently on offer for just £17,800 ($22,500).

4 – Another racy run-about, not only also owned by Peter Sellers, but also by Princess Margaret’s husband, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, 1^st Earl of Snowdon and more recently by TV presenter Chris Evans is another example of a ‘star priced car.’

Featured in The Steeple Times in June 2021 prior to being auctioned the following month by Bonhams at their Festival of Speed Sale at Goodwood, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 was offered with an estimate of £1.3 million to £1.7 million ($1.8 million to $2.4 million). It had cost Peter Sellers just £4,490 new ($3,550); the actor and comedian sold it “at a loss” to the then Viscount Linley in 1965 – whose own son sold it in 2002 to pay towards the death duties incurred by his late mother’s estate.

5 – Though a 1953 Lagonda DB drophead coupé originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA failed to sell with an estimate of £90,000 ($114,000) in July 2017, auctioneers H&H Classics hammered down another ‘grander’ example, one owned by Prince Philip, for £340,000 ($432,000) the previous year. At the time, they remarked: “We sold Prince Philip’s Lagonda for a world record price… so the bar was set high.”

Advice on alternators

When it comes to classic cars, the alternator is a critical component that keeps the battery charged and the electrical system running smoothly.

Unlike modern vehicles, which might have more sophisticated diagnostic tools and electrical systems, classic cars require a more hands-on and attentive approach to identify and resolve issues with their alternators.

This section will guide you through the process of identifying and resolving problems with alternators in classic cars, ensuring that your vintage beauty runs as smoothly as it did in its heyday.

Understanding the alternator

The alternator is the heart of a car’s electrical system, responsible for charging the battery and powering the electrical system when the engine is running. It converts mechanical energy into electrical energy as alternating current (AC), which is then rectified to direct current (DC) suitable for the car’s electrical system and to charge the battery.

A malfunctioning alternator can lead to a dead battery, dimming lights, and ultimately, the car failing to start.

Symptoms of a faulty alternator

Identifying alternator problems early can save you from unexpected breakdowns. Here are common signs of a failing alternator:

– Dimming or overly bright lights: This can indicate that the alternator is not providing a consistent voltage.

– Dead battery: While batteries can fail on their own, a dead battery might also suggest that the alternator is not charging it properly.

– Warning lights on the dashboard: Many cars have a battery or alternator warning light that indicates when there’s an issue.

– Strange noises: A failing alternator can produce odd noises due to worn bearings or belts.

– Electrical issues: Malfunctioning accessories, such as power windows or radio, could point towards alternator problems.

Preventative maintenance

Preventative maintenance can extend the life of your classic car’s alternator and prevent many of the issues mentioned:

– Regular inspections: Routinely check the alternator belt for wear and ensure it is properly tightened.

– Clean terminals: Regularly clean the battery terminals and alternator connections to prevent corrosion.

– Battery maintenance: Keep the battery in good condition, as a failing battery can put extra strain on the alternator.

Conclusion

Maintaining the alternator in a classic car requires a blend of observation, basic electrical knowledge, and sometimes, a bit of detective work. By understanding how to identify and address issues with your alternator, you can ensure that your classic car remains reliable and ready for the road.

Remember, the key to troubleshooting and maintenance is regular inspection and early detection of potential problems. With these tips and a proactive approach, you can keep your classic car’s electrical system in top condition, preserving its legacy and performance for years to come.

Additional information

How to know if the alternator needs to be replaced – buycarparts.co.uk

The 1968 Ford Mustang GT used by Steve McQueen in the classic film ‘Bullitt’ (top) and an example made as a homage to it (below).

John Lennon’s ‘psychedelic gypsy caravan’ styled 1964 Rolls-Royce Phantom V limousine. It certainly set a record price when sold in 1985.

The 1966 Lotus Elan S2 originally owned by actor and comedian Peter Sellers CBE (top and centre) and a similar car without any ‘famous face’ connection (below).

The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 that was owned by Peter Sellers CBE, the 1st Earl of Snowdon and later Chris Evans.

The 1953 Lagonda DB drophead coupé originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, CBE FRSA and another example – which sold for a lot more – that was owned by the late Prince Philip.

April 13, 2024
Live Like A King For £40k
Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 flat goes on sale for just £40,000 in an area where a house has been offered for £200 million

Whilst most consider Chelsea – the heart of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea – ritzy, in March 2014, realty firm Beauchamp Estates bizarrely declared it “a place where servants live.”

Now, contrasting with the sale of what potentially could be “Britain’s most expensive home” in the same area – the £200 million plus ($278 million, €233 million or درهم1 billion) The Old Rectory, Old Church Street, featured in The Steeple Times in May 2019 – a comparative bargain basement property has gone on sale in the vicinity.

Set to be offered in an online auction on Wednesday 14^th July with an estimate of just £40,000 ($56,000, €47,000 or درهم204,000), Flat 10, Blenheim House at 180 Kings Road most certainly must be the cheapest one bedroom flat currently available in the Royal Borough.

Described as “requiring modernisation,” the third floor flat includes an entrance hall, small kitchenette, sitting room, bedroom and en-suite shower room. It is situated at the corner with Burnsall Street and above the Snappy Snaps shop.

The catch? The property is on a lease that has just five years remaining that expires on 16^th September 2026. Unlike with many other properties with such short tenures, however, agents McHugh & Co. state: “If requested by the purchaser prior to completion, the sellers solicitor at the expense of the purchaser will serve notice on the freeholder pursuant to a Section 42 Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and assign the benefit of that notice to the purchaser.”

Curious Facts About The Kings Road
- The 1.9-mile long road was the king’s private road until 1830 and thus some people refer to it as ‘King’s Road’ whilst others simply reference it ‘Kings Road.’
- The World’s End estate takes its name from King James II, who considered the area to be the end of the world when he used to ride down Kings Road.
- Famous residents have included Sir Arthur and Lady Colefax, Ellen Terry and Peter Ustinov.
- Argyll House (213) is undoubtedly the road’s grandest house. It has been home to the 4^th Duke of Argyll and the 5^th Marquis of Normanby amongst others.
- ‘The Pheasantry’ (152) is now a Pizza Express, but was originally the site of a business breeding exotic pheasants, cattle and foxes. It later became the residence of Eleanor Thornton – who became the inspiration for the Rolls-Royce mascot, the Spirit of Ecstasy – and as “bohemian apartments” housed Eric Clapton, Anthony Haden-Guest and Germaine Greer.
- The Water Rat (383) – now a restaurant named Chicama – was the haunt of the actor and gangster John Bindon in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. A one-time “squeeze” of Princess Margaret, Bindon was known for being able to hang five half-pint beer glasses on his penis.
- In 1876, the world’s first artificial ice rink opened just off the road.
- Sir Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirt movement had a barracks on the road in the 1930s.
- In his 1955 thriller Moonraker, Ian Fleming describes his legendary spy James Bond as residing in “a comfortable flat in a plane tree’d square off the Kings Road.” Another of fiction’s most famous spies, George Smiley (created by John le Carré), lived just off the Kings Road at 9 Bywater Street.
- Dame Mary Quant OBE – inventor of the miniskirt – opened her first boutique in the Kings Road in 1955. It was named Bazaar and now features a blue plaque dedicated to her.
- In the 1960s, the road was the centre of mod culture and later, in the punk and hippie eras, it was dominated by counterculture.
- In 1969, a lion named Christian was purchased from Harrods by John Rendall and Anthony Bourke. He went to live in their furniture store on the Kings Road before later being taken to live in the wild in the Kora National Reserve in Africa.
- Led Zeppelin’s record label Swan Song Records was based at 484 Kings Road from its inception in 1974 until the company closed in 1983.
- The Pet Shop Boys met in an electronic store on the road in 1981.
- The first UK branch of Starbucks opened on the road in 1998.
June 26, 2021
Phone Home Snowdon & Sellers

1964 Aston Martin DB5 convertible – complete with very first car phone in Britain – owned originally by Peter Sellers and subsequently by Princess Margaret’s husband to be auctioned

A “regal runaround” – a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 convertible owned first by the actor, comedian and avid car collector Peter Sellers CBE and then by both the 1^st and 2^nd Earls of Snowdon – is to be sold at auction next month.

Ordered new complete with the very first wireless Motorola car phone in Britain – which the then Viscount Linley later described as working “a bit like a walkie-talkie; you clicked a button twice and got through to the exchange” – the Caribbean pearl blue, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera designed car was one of only 123 soft-top variants produced.

Featuring a 282 bhp 4-litre straight-six engine, “mated to a state-of-the-art five-speed ZF manual gearbox,” according to auctioneers Bonhams, the vehicle is “capable of a 145 mph top speed.” It came with extras numbering fog lamps, a cigar lighter, a dark blue hood and cover and non-standard chrome roadwheels also.

In the possession of Sellers, it is believed, for just a year, the vehicle passed to his friend, the then husband of Princess Margaret, the former Anthony Armstrong-Jones, circa 1965 and was used for “family journeys” in Chelsea, Mayfair and Soho and even also for roadtrips to places as far away as Prague.

Tellingly, the 1^st Earl supposedly “smuggled Lady Jacqueline Rufus Isaacs, daughter of the Marquis and Marchioness of Reading, away from his country house when the Princess returned home unexpectedly one evening” in the boot of the car, whilst Bonhams add, the 2^nd Earl recalled: “We always had the windows down so my mother could smoke her cigarettes.”

Kept subsequently at the National Motoring Museum at Beaulieu, the 1^st Earl gave his son the car to mark his 25^th birthday in 1986 and during the next period, it was altered, rebuilt and maintained by Aston Martin Service Works.

Speaking of the convertible to Aston Martin magazine and driving it to Italy even, the 2^nd Earl of Snowdon – known professionally as ‘David Linley’ – mused:

“[When my father gave me the car], it had already spent a few years at the motoring museum at Beaulieu and my father advised me that it might be quite a good idea to leave it there… But I was 25, for God’s sake, and living in London – the car didn’t stay in the museum!”

“I loved that it had this patina that reminded me of my father. Everywhere I went in Italy it was: ‘Che bella macchina!’ [what a beautiful machine].”

Sold on in 2002 after “the pain and pleasure of owning a classic vehicle mounted up” for Viscount Linley, the car is believed to have been in the ownership of the radio and television presenter Chris Evans since circa 2011.

The Aston Martin has most recently been offered for sale by Joe Macari – whom declared of it on their website: “[It] was given to Lord Snowden’s son, Viscount Linley, who sold it in an auction in order to raise money to pay the Death Duty on his inheritance. While only £3 million was required to pay the duty, over £13 million was raised leading to Lord Snowden accusing his son of selling anything that wasn’t laid down… The chance to own such a stunning car with such interesting provenance is a rare one!”

The vehicle will be now be auctioned on Friday 9^th July at the Bonhams Festival of Speed Sale at Goodwood, near Chichester. The firm have set an estimate of £1.4 million to £1.7 million and commenting, director of Bonhams Motoring Cars UK, Sholto Gilbertson, commented:

“If ever a car defined an era, this DB5 is surely on the shortlist. Not only was it one of the most desirable and thoroughbred sportscars of its day but it has an extraordinary provenance being owned by the crème de la crème of the 1960s.”

Going further and speaking about letting it go, the now 2^nd Earl of Snowdon added:

“I sold it and everybody said it was a great price. Obviously, I had no idea that the market was about to go completely crazy.”

“The thing is, if you are always going back on what you did and regretting things, you just start beating yourself up. You do what you think is right at the time, right?”

“Should I have sold it? No. Do I regret it? Yes. Can I put back the clock? No. Could I pay five million pounds to buy it back? Definitely not! But it [the sale] helped get Serena [his then wife] and I on a steady keel. I got the Linley business working. Got a job here at Christie’s. Got myself in a better place.”

Anthony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon in the car seat with his then wife, Princess Margaret, and children David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (later Lady Sarah Chatto).

Peter Sellers driving another of his cars, a Mercedes-Benz, with Liza Minnelli and another friend.

Chris Evans in the Aston Martin in 2015.

The Names & Numbers

Friday 9^th July 2021 – Bonhams will offer the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 convertible with an estimate of £1.3 million to £1.7 million ($1.8 million to $2.4 million, €1.5 million to €2 million or درهم6.8 million to درهم8.9 million) at their Bonhams Festival of Speed Sale on Friday 9^th July 2021.

2015 – Chris Evans is pictured in the car just as he is announced as the replacement presenter of the hit show Top Gear in a multi-million pound deal that made him the BBC’s highest paid presenter at that time.

Circa 2011 – Believed to have been sold to television and radio presenter Chris Evans around this time.

2002 – Sold by the subsequent 2^nd Earl of Snowdon, the now former Viscount Linley, in order to pay towards the death duties incurred by his late mother’s estate.

1986 – Valued at £30,000 or the equivalent of £90,000 today ($128,000, €104,000 or درهم469,000 today), according to Aston Martin Magazine and given by the 1^st Earl of Snowdon to his son, then Viscount Linley, to mark the latter’s 25^th birthday.

Dates unknown in this period – Kept at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Hampshire.

Circa 1965 – Sold “at a loss” to Lord Snowdon, the former Anthony Armstrong-Jones, according to GQ magazine.

July 1964 – First registered in the name of Peter Sellars. The cost of the convertible new at the time was £4,490 or the equivalent of £93,000 today ($132,000, €108,000 or درهم484,000 today). This was “well above the average house price of the time, assuring that only a privileged few were able to afford one. The epitome of British elegance and class, celebrities snapped them up – Peter Sellers, Beryl Reid, and even HRH Princess Margaret could be spotted in a DB5 convertible,” according to RM Sotheby’s whom sold a 1965 left-hand drive example for £1.9 million ($2.7 million, €2.2 million or درهم9.9 million) in December 2017.

June 1, 2021
A Set fit for a Peacock

Unmodernised ‘set’ in “rule-ridden” Albany, Piccadilly that was the London home of eccentric antiques dealer and ‘King of Chelsea’ Christopher Gibbs for sale; tour the home of the man who got Princess Margaret high on hash

Expelled from Eton “for being generally totally impossible,” antiques dealer Christopher Gibbs (1938 – 2018) was not a man one would have imagined would have liked the idea of living in a place with archaic rules. This “peacock pied piper to society in the Swinging Sixties” whose “drug consumption awed even Keith Richards,” however, surprisingly chose as his London base Albany in Mayfair and now his former residence is for sale.

“A hermitage; quiet as a lagoon, secluded from the roar of Piccadilly” according to the author Sheila, Countess of Birkenhead in her 1958 tome Peace in Piccadilly, Albany – which is only ever referred to as ‘The Albany’ by the extremely ill-advised – quintessential dandy Gibbs lived in the building for “more than half [his] life.” Whilst also owning properties including Davington Priory in Kent – which he later sold to Bob Geldoff – and a “mystic hangover” home in Tangier, it was here that this ‘King’ of “distressed bohemian” style found a place that offered him: “Perfection for a singleton, an oasis of serenity in the frenetic heart of West London.”

This curious “cloistered world” has numbered Sir Isaiah Berlin, Alan Clark, Lord Byron, William Gladstone, J. B. Priestley, W. Somerset Maugham and Terence Stamp amongst those who have passed its vetting committee of trustees and Gibbs – a man who legendarily got Princess Margaret so high on marijuana that she had to go to hospital – even embraced its “no pets, no children, no whistling, no noise and absolutely no publicity” policy.

Antiques dealer Christopher Henry Gibbs, (29th July 1938 to 28th July 2018), son of The Hon. Sir Geoffrey Gibbs KCMG and Lady (Helen) Gibbs CBE, was called the ‘King of Chelsea’ due to his ability as the ultimate connector. He put the Rolling Stones together with Prince Rupert Loewenstein (whom became their business manager) and he persuaded his friend John Paul Getty, Jr. to donate £50 million to the British National Gallery in 1985.

Christopher Gibbs by Robert Mapplethorpe and with Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull.

Christopher Gibbs pictured in his bathroom at L6 Albany, Albany Courtyard, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London, W1J 0AZ; the bathroom as it is today is in need of “some updating” according to agents GreenHunt.

‘Set L6’ circa 2013, as furnished then by Christopher Gibbs.

Photographed there by the curmudgeonly Victor Watts on a daybed that allegedly belonged to Lord Tennyson, described the home he created in an article for The New York Times’ ‘Style Magazine’ in April 2013:

“I had the place to myself and proceeded to make it my own in the accustomed style: sober mahogany, Oriental rugs, family pictures. I’ve continually reordered these rooms, distilling, paring, pruning, as chaste as my voluptuous nature allows.”

“So enraptured with my Albany life did I become that, reason deserting me (not for the first or last time) I gave up a spacious Bond Street gallery where I had my antiques shop and took one at the back of Albany, a small if elegant space with an entrance into the building, another onto the street and best of all a door into the underground passage – a quiet, invisible stroll home.”

“I love returning from Morocco, where I now spend much of my time, seeing the friendly porters at the door, hearing the clip-clop of feet on the Rope Walk, seeing the old-timers sitting in the little ivy-lined garden, sunning themselves by the little bronze statue of Antinous and the fountain, regularly invaded by the ducks from St. James’s Park – and enjoying sudden glimpses into other people’s lives through uncurtained windows, the hours marked only by the clock chimes of St. James’s Church, accompanied by the more uptempo tinkling of the clock at Fortnum & Mason, our local grocers.”

“At this point, when I am in London, I can’t imagine staying anywhere but Albany – all the more reason, perhaps, to clam up, maintain the longstanding omertà (or I should say discretion) that has held sway for centuries now, and count my blessings.”

Gibbs’ former home, ‘Set L6,’ is situated on the second floor in Albany’s Courtyard. It extends to some 1,178 square foot and includes a hall, reception room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. On the third floor, a separately accessed studio space has a shower room and kitchenette and of the property, the selling agents remark: “Whilst capable of immediate occupation, [it] does require the bathrooms being upgraded.”

Sold for just £60,000 ($75,000, €69,000 or درهم275,000) leasehold in March 2019 (presumably the term must have been very much towards its end), agents GreenHunt listed ‘Set L6 Albany’ on Zoopla first in May that year. Now, in April 2020, it remains for sale, but is instead listed on Primelocation. They seek £925,000 ($1.2 million, €1.1 million or درهم4.2 million) and offer it on a new 20-year leasehold with an upfront premium and a peppercorn ground rent.

Living in the building is not just the preserve of those with deep pockets. Peviously, in 2014, we featured ‘Set A5 Attic Albany’ – which was just £395 per week ($494, €454 or درهم1,800 per week) – whilst for those looking for something grander currently, a second and third floor freehold set is currently available through Sotheby’s International Realty for £4.95 million ($6.19 million, €5.69 million or درهم22.73 million). It extends to 1,890 square feet, is described as “meticulously refurbished” and includes an especially impressive drawing room.

Christopher Gibbs quoted:

“[I’ve always attracted] the grand and the raffish and the fast and the chic.”

“[I am] monumentally narcissistic.”

“I am a bit snooty… I do make exceptions, but very few.”

“We are here to learn, and my goodness I have a lot to learn.”

“[I was expelled from Eton for] Rabelaisian antics – illicit drinking, pantry raids of other boys’ rooms – that sort of thing.”

“Taste is something you catch – like measles or religion.”

“I like things in their natural state – people especially. As life goes by, that’s what I admire: objects and people that are unmonkeyed with, that are themselves, not trying to be something else.”

“I’m not interested in creating a dazzling impression of richness. We can make do with surprisingly little in life. It is best to have a few things which are really nice. I don’t approve of the mean look, but I do approve of the spare look, where every little bit is telling.”

“Being a shopkeeper, I used to sell things, sometimes.”

“I definitely suffer from the blown-mind syndrome… The only thing I’ll say in my favour, is that I was practically the only person I knew who actually went to work at nine o’clock in the morning, whether I’d been up to eight o’clock or not, because I had a job, my own business, and I realised that, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have any of those things.”

“[I] help people make nice cosy homes where they are going to live happy, beautiful lives.”

“[I] encourage friends to dig into their heirlooms, to wear old clothes, to turn their backs on ugliness and conformism.”

“Collectors today want a good car, a good sound system, and a huge pink heart painted by Damien Hirst with dying butterflies on it which costs £400,000. Yet for much less you could buy something completely fascinating made 300 years ago.”

Quotes about Christopher Gibbs:

“Taste is difficult to define, but his is absolute perfection” – Min Hogg, founding editor of World of Interiors.

“[He was] like an 18^th century English parson who knew more about Etruscan vases than anyone at the British Museum” – Sir John Richardson, July 2018.

“I’m here to learn how to be a gentleman” – Mick Jagger of his then neighbour Christopher Gibbs whilst at a dinner party at his house.

“He was very flash… Sometimes he just wore tight jeans or fancy dress, like the others; but mostly his tastes were elaborate; suits with double-breasted waistcoats and cloth-covered buttons, and velvet ties, and striped Turkish shirts with stiff white collars, and cravats. Above all, he had a passion for carnations and was forever buying new strains, pink-and-yellow, or green-ink, or purple with red flecks” – Nik Cohn, author of Today There Are No Gentlemen, January 1971.

“Part Montesquieu, part Beau Brummel, and part Baudelaire… [Christopher Gibbs was a] well-born Renaissance man with an unmatched eye for aesthetics and a talent for friendship and the mot juste” – Hamish Bowles, international editor at large for Vogue, July 2018.

“Christopher was almost single-handedly responsible for making English antiques, and English heritage, look ‘cool’ again” – James Reginato of Vanity Fair, July 2018.

“A connoisseur of the weird and the wonderful” – Christopher Mason of The New York Times, September 2000.

“[He was an] acid-tripping ex-roué once known as the King of Chelsea” – Bitter words from the ex-Daily Mail ‘journalist’ and poison pen James Delingpole, executive editor of Breitbart.

“[The] avatar of Swinging London” – A more kind description from Sam Roberts of The New York Times.

“The arbiter of bohemian style” – Mitchell Owens of Architectural Digest Pro, July 2018.

“Christopher Gibbs: the man who brokered £50 million Getty grant to the National Gallery – and fed Princess Margaret hash brownies” – Huon Mallalieu of The Art Newspaper, July 2018.

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The entrance hallway of ‘Set L6’ has a fireplace.

The master bedroom of ‘

Looking into the reception room.

The somewhat basic kitchen is definitely in need of an upgrade.

The view from the set.

Albany’s famous ‘Rope Walk’ – Of it, Gibbs commented: “So ingrained is the sense of decorum that even to utter a friendly hello to a neighbor as we pass on the stone stairs or the covered outdoor canopy, known as the Rope Walk, might be violating a taboo, as if a few words of small talk could break the spell of privacy we Albanians prize so deeply. (A nod suffices, a hat raised to a lady.)”

Residents have access to the most peaceful outside spaces.

The third floor space included in the sale is arranged as a long, thin studio room.

It has a small kitchenette.

And a somewhat dated shower room.

A plan indicating how ‘Set L6’ is currently arranged.

A plan of the third floor studio space.

April 19, 2020
A Con and A Cabriolet

One-off 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI cabriolet to be auctioned; originally commissioned by a British playboy turned jailbird with connections to Princess Margaret but only actually completed in 1993

A 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet with bodywork by the renowned Italian automotive stylist Frua is to be auctioned this month.

Offered with an estimate of £308,000 to £462,000 ($400,000 to $600,000, €340,000 to €511,000 or درهم1.5 million to درهم2.2 million), this truly unique, one-of-one design was amazingly the final Rolls-Royce Phantom VI completed in spite of the model remaining in production until 1991. This mammoth beast of a car, surprisingly, however, has just 72 miles on its clock and is thus described as “as brand new.”

The car’s first owner, Robert ‘Bobby’ Buchanan-Michaelson, was a bit of a playboy but sadly he never got to actually drive or be driven in it. A “member of Princess Margaret’s inner circle of friends,” this Cambridge graduate was a member of the “Mayfair mammas’ lists of the season’s most eligible bachelors” until “exchanging his Edwardian hacking jacket for prison grey” in 1954 after being jailed for 12 months for an import/export fraud according to a report in Sydney’s World’s News in August that year.

Some years after being freed, ex-con Buchanan-Michaelson took part in the 10,000 mile 1968 London to Sydney Marathon in a Mercedes-Benz 280SE. In a book about the adventure he was described as both a “successful and wealthy businessman, employing a cook, a butler, a maid and a chauffeur” and as an “accomplished sportsman.” Also listed as a lavish spender, Buchannan-Michaelson was later bankrupted in November 1977 – though at the time he lived in grandeur at both at Churchbury Manor at Fairford, Gloucestershire and 26 The Vale, in Chelsea, London, SW3.

In 1970, in the period between the international car race and his bankruptcy, Buchanan-Michaelson commissioned Rolls-Royce to build him a Phantom VI. After delivery to Jack Barclay Ltd. In June 1971, the vehicle’s chassis was sent to Frua of Torino, Italy to have bodywork fitted but for some reason work stopped and it was not until 1977 – and by now with a new American owner, James Leake, and new drawings of its eventual form – that the project continued.

With Pietro Frua (1913 – 1983) retiring soon thereafter and Mr Leake’s death in 1983, the chassis passed to new ownership and it was only eventually completed as a finished motor vehicle in 1993.

That year, the four-door ‘state cabriolet’ was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show and its boxy look must have surely either have wowed or horrified visitors. It is described as having “an elaborate multi-position convertible top allows the car to be configured as a sedanca de ville, landaulet or fully open convertible.” The interior is trimmed in burled walnut with sterling silver inlays and amongst other luxuries are front and rear heating, air-conditioning, fresh-air ventilation systems, a television, a video player, a radio and a cocktail cabinet. Underneath the seats is a portable Davidoff cigar humidor and even a matching silk-lined ladies’ vanity case. What more could anyone ever need?

RM Sotheby’s will sell the Frua Phantom VI at their Monterey sale in California on 19^th August and term it: “The last word in modern opulence.”

August 8, 2017
Nelson & Nintendo

Georgian mansion, where Admiral Lord Nelson lived with his lover and her husband, for sale for £4.25 million; it was renovated by a former Nintendo executive

One would expect a senior executive of a tech company to live in a slick, modern home in Silicon Valley, but since 2004, Matthew Hill, for many years a senior manager at Nintendo, has called a Grade II listed manor house named Fir Hill in Hampshire’s Meon Valley home.

Built in 1765 and the scene of one of the most famous ménages à trois in history when home to Sir William Hamilton, his wife Emma and Admiral Horatio, 1^st Viscount Nelson in 1801 to 1802, the 7,905 square foot “Georgian masterpiece” includes 3 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. It stands in 5.2 acres of land and comes with a two-storey stable block with potential for secondary accommodation.

Mr Hill purchased the property from Mrs Vida Schreiber, previously Lady Clive, after the death of her husband, Brigadier Schreiber. He met intellectual property lawyer Georgy Evans in 2007 and married her in St Mary and All Saints church in Droxford in 2012 and in the time since, aside from completing the renovation of Fir Hill, the couple have worked together creating a website that comprehensively details the entire history of the building.

Of the renovation and why they are now selling, Matthew Hill told Hampshire Life:

“The renovation work took us 10 years on and off. Our architect said, you either have a big bang and not live here for two years or work in phases. We decided to do the work in four phases which meant we could live here, moving around the house as each phase was completed. The experience of living in the house helped with the restoration… It’s a lovely house, with a lovely feeling, but too big for the two of us now”.

Fir Hill is for sale for £4.25 million ($5.17 million, €4.87 million or درهم19.07 million) through Christie’s Real Estate.

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Lynn Wyatt (née Lynn Sakowitz)

The Houston home of the “ageless wife” of the once jailed Texan oil baron Oscar Wyatt became known as the “Wyatt Hyatt” after becoming a “home away from home” for everyone from Mick Jagger to Princess Margaret (more…)

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A Smart move

The sale of the home of a circus heir and the revival of Billy Smart’s Circus

Billy Smart, Sr. (1894 – 1966), a travelling showman and father of 10 children (he was himself one of 23), bought a circus in 1946 and quickly became known as an extraordinary entertainer. One of his son’s, Billy Smart, Jr. (1934 – 2005), made his debut at the age of 12 as an assistant ringmaster in Billy Smart’s New World Circus and performed with ponies, horses and eventually elephants. (more…)

February 18, 2013
Five of the best: Lunch deals in The Royal Borough

Five of the best places to enjoy a great lunch deal in The Royal Borough

It being January, we’re all after a deal. Here are a few places that you can enjoy on a budget in the country’s most expensive borough.

Sette, 4 Sydney Street, SW3, 6PP

Situated in the heart of Chelsea, this stylish Italian restaurant is popular with locals and visitors alike. Owned by Frankie Dettori MBE, where else can you get to sit amongst rock and racing stars for just £15 for a two course set lunch that includes a glass of wine?

The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant, Jumeirah Carlton Tower, 1 Cadogan Place, London, SW1X 9PY

Ably managed by Michele Caggianese, this Knightsbridge institution offers a 3 course set lunch for £29 including a glass of champagne during January and February. The bar is the perfect spot to start as the offering here includes some of the finest English gins and a great selection of aromatic bitters.

Brompton Bar & Grill, 243 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2EP

François O’Neill pulled off a masterstroke in opening this neighbourhood bar and grill. With a set lunch menu priced at £18.50 for two courses, here you’ll find not only great English classics but if you daring enough abinsthe served traditionally with a water fountain.

Maggie Jones’s, 6 Old Court Place, London, W8 4PL

If you are on a real budget but feel like living like a royal, head to the restaurant named after Princess Margaret off Kensington Church Street. For just £10, they offer a soup and a salad. The sister restaurant of Belgravia’s La Poule au Pot is a must visit for anyone shopping in Kensington.

Blakes Hotel, 33 Roland Gardens, London, SW7 3PF

The world’s ultimate boutique hotel offers a tremendous set lunch if you’re on a date or want to impress. If you want privacy and discretion, this is the place to go. With 2 courses for just £19 and 3 courses for £24.50, you can dine amongst the opulence and splendour of this hidden secret without blowing the bank.

Sette: http://www.sette-restaurant.com

The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant: http://www.theribroom.co.uk

Brompton Bar & Grill: http://www.bromptonbarandgrill.com

Maggie Jones’s: http://www.maggie-jones.co.uk

Blakes Hotel: http://www.blakeshotels.com

January 14, 2013