The Londoner: Christie’s turns back the clock

The story of a Thatcher cabinet minister, a lost antique clock, Christie's, the V&A, and a happy ending/ Howard Jacobson on Chris Williamson/ Chuka Umunna's pronunciation troubles
Making up for lost time: Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum Tristram Hunt
Jack Taylor/Getty Images
28 February 2019

Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, was faced with a predicament on discovering that an antique clock once borrowed by the late politician Lord St John of Fawsley had accidentally been sold on by Christie’s.

Lord St John served as arts minister under Ted Heath, and it was during that tenure that he borrowed a clock from the V&A for his office.

He left the post shortly after but failed to return the clock, which was forgotten.

In 2012, he died at the age of 82, leaving his effects to his partner of over 50 years, banker Adrian Stanford. At St John’s memorial service, former chancellor Norman Lamont referred to Stamford as St John’s “lifelong companion”.

The plot thickened: Stanford died in 2016 and his effects, including the clock, were sold by London auction house Christie’s, alongside lots including altar paintings, eight red leather despatch boxes, and — true to St John’s eccentric form — a set of McDonald’s golden arches, formerly a shop sign.

By a remarkable coincidence, the buyer of the clock then approached the V&A to ask if it could help him discover its history. Surprised, it informed him that, in fact, it belonged to the museum.

Hunt, who joined the V&A in 2017, was consulted and suggested the man could keep the clock, as long as it was returned to the institution on his death. But he was too embarrassed to accept the offer and asked for a refund from Christie’s so that he could return it immediately. It has now obliged.

A representative of Christie’s confirms the story.

“All parties agreed that in the circumstances the right thing to do was to cancel the sale so that the clock could be re-instated to the V&A,” it told us.

All’s well that ends well.

A man of taste: Lord Norman St John-Stevas of Fawsley
Tony Evans/Getty Images

A collar for Chris

Booker Prize-winning author Howard Jacobson once thought Chris Williamson’s bark was worse than his bite, but no more.

“Chris Williamson is Labour’s chief attack dog,” he tells The Londoner.

“I debated with him last year and found that tickling his belly pacified him. But not for long, obviously.”

Williamson was yesterday suspended by Labour for describing the party’s response to allegations of anti-Semitism as “too apologetic” during a recent Momentum meeting in Sheffield.

“Failing deselection,” continues Jacobson, “I suggest the kennel door be now kept permanently locked.”

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Staff at Sky News were thrilled it was named News Channel of the Year at last night’s Royal Television Society Awards. So much so that around 35 of them took to the stage when the win was announced. “It might take a moment for the whole Sky staff to exit the stage,” host Mary Nightingale announced apologetically.

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Comedian Simon Amstell
Gareth Davies/Getty Images

Simon Amstell was caught up in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in South-East Asia with a picky female friend. “We ended up on a hill because there was talk of another tsunami,” he tells the Penguin Books podcast. He recalls that a group of good Samaritans offered them food, which his friend declined: “She said she wasn’t eating bread at the moment.”

Unattached Bond

Producers on the next Bond film are still scheduling auditions for the roles of two Bond girls. Variety reports that Rami Malek — who won an Oscar last weekend for portraying Freddie Mercury — is being pursued to play the villain, while American actor Billy Magnussen is top of the list to play a CIA operative. But “chemistry reads” — where actors meet the 007 actor Daniel Craig to gauge their rapport — are still being scheduled for the female roles with no clear decision in sight. Girl trouble, Mr Bond?

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"Look, don't touch": Anna Mason
Dave Benett/Getty Images

Astrid Harbord supported designer Anna Mason at the launch of her new collection at Mayfair’s George Club last night. The clothes are inspired by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra’s song Some Velvet Morning: “It’s all about ‘look at us, but do not touch’,” Mason explained. “Which is really pertinent for modern times.”

Bottoms up to upskirting ban

Campaign success: Laura Whitmore and Gina Martin
Dave Benett/Getty Images

Gina Martin and Laura Whitmore raised a glass to the end of upskirting last night: Martin co-hosted a party at The Court in Soho to celebrate the Royal Ascent into law of the Voyeurism Bill at The Court. Male attendees, including Henry Conway and Ben Starr, wore skirts to show their solidarity.

Martin, who launched a campaign against upskirting after being targeted at a festival, described the ban as “politics and society at its best”.

Meanwhile, Pippa Middleton — who gave birth to her first child, Arthur, in October — was at the Guildhall. An official ambassador for the British Heart Foundation, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge was among the guests at the charity’s Beating Hearts Ball, also attended by presenter Vernon Kay and Made In Chelsea veteran Oliver Proudlock. Also last night, actor Tracy Ann Oberman and Diane Morgan — best known for playing gormless historian Philomena Cunk — were with Ricky Gervais at Bafta HQ in Piccadilly for a screening of his new Netfix series After Life.

SW1A

Waxing lyrical: Chuka Umunna
Leon Neal/Getty Images

Chuka Umunna addressed a group of young People’s Vote campaigners in Westminster Hall yesterday, telling them: “It’s not too late to change things... I was in a different party two weeks ago.” The group’s campaign is called Our Future, Our Choice, or OFOC. Capturing the attitude of his young audience towards Brexit, Umunna pronounced it “oh f**k”.

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Greg Hands MP welcomes the news that Spanish is more popular in schools and remembers his own early experiences learning the language using his parents’ 1956 copy of Living Spanish. “The first lesson had the Spanish for ‘the ox is next to the donkey’ and ‘the peasant’s name is Manuel’,” he recalls. “Almost medieval.”

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Nigel Farage says he’s relaxed about a no-deal Brexit: “These things work themselves out,” he tells Spear’s Magazine. “Money’s like water, it finds its level.” And after a drought, say, how high would that level be?

Quote of the Day

De-cluttering guru: Jess Phillips
David Levenson/Getty Images

‘Chuck out things that don’t spark joy’

Jess Phillips MP takes a Marie Kondo approach to discipline in the Labour Party

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