england

Wedgwood Museum In Administration Over Pension Debt

England's Wedgwood Museum could be forced to sell some of its exhibits. The museum website says that the Wedgwood Museum Trust Ltd has been placed into Administration but that the Wedgwood Museum will remain fully operational and open to the general public as usual. BBC News reports that valuable pieces from the museum in Stoke-on-Trent could be seized by creditors and sold because of a pension fund debt. Waterford Wedgwood went into administration last year, with parts of the business later bought by a US firm but it was the Wedgwood Museum Trust that inherited the £134 million pension debt of the whole company.

The question is whether or not the assets are held in trust by the museum or whether they're available for creditors to pillage. The Wedgwood Museum opened in 2008 and is home to an exhibition of more than 250 years of the company's history. Because five of the museum trust's staff were in the same pension plan as the employees of the whole pottery company somehow the museum got left holding the bag. The prize-winning museum hopes to be able to keep its valuable assets intact and to keep the museum open to the public. Wedgwood was founded in 1759, but Waterford Wedgwood was created in 1987. It went into administration in January 2009.

Tags: england, museums, wedgwood, wedgwood museum

Union Jack Collection from Viscount David Linley

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Decor, Men's Style

The latest design from bespoke cabinetmaker (and nephew of the Queen of England) Viscount David Linley is a line of elegant accessories featuring an inlaid Union Jack motif. Consisting of a humidor, jewelry box, tea caddy, cufflink box, and large and small picture frames, the exquisite and extremely British pieces pieces are finished in walnut with the flag artfully rendered in a marquetry of burr oak, burr walnut and ripple sycamore. Like Linley himself, the Union Jack boasts a royal lineage; the flag originated in 1606 after King James I of England was crowned, uniting the kingdoms of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The humidor, for about $2,000, is lined with Spanish cedar wood and has a built-in humidifier and hydrometer to preserve cigars. The jewelry box, for about $1,800, is lockable and lined in red faux suede with a compartmentalized, removable tray. The tea caddy, for about $1,000, is available in a limited edition of 25 pieces, and comes complete with a supply of Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend loose leaf tea. The cufflink box, for about $650, is lined in beige faux suede. The picture frames come in a large and small size for about $440 and $400.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: bespoke, British royalty, David Linley, England, Fortnum Mason, humidor, jewelry, Queen of England, tea, UK, Union Jack, Viscount Linley, walnut, wood

Drive Six Supercars in One Day Across the UK

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos

Luxury concierge service Pure Conciergerie is offering a spectacular supercar driving day experience in the UK's picturesque Cotswolds.You don't drive just one but six different supercars during the day-long jaunt through some of the most stunning and famous landscapes in the country - an Aston Martin DBS, Audi R8, Lamborghini Gallardo LP-560, Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 Turbo - each with a unique character and distinct driving style. The journey starts with a light breakfast followed by brief training from a driving instructor. Each participant then spends about an hour of wheel time in each of their selected cars (other automotive options are available) for a total driving time of around six hours. The price is $2,500 per person, or $1,500 each if two people elect to share the same cars, not including accommodations.

Gallery: UK Supercar Tour

Tags: Aston Martin, Bentley, car trip, concierge, Cotswolds, driving tour, england, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, supercar, UK

Luxist Visits the Denim-meisters at London's MQT Jeans

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Luxist had been hanging out in London for a while when the men's-only denim brand MQT was brought to our attention. The denim business on the 'sceptered isle is just as intense as it is in NYC and every VIP section in LA, probably because the English take their various senses of style so... gravely... and because jeans are bloody expensive. That $250 pair of True Religion jeans scored at Fred Segal is £250 when you drive on the other side of the road. Which is $390. An inexpensive pair of jeans is $100. And that's real money.

We dropped in on MQT's central command hoping for a lesson in denim and a look at what are being called not the next big thing, but simply a big thing, period. What we got was not only a good lesson and a brilliant look, but a pair of loose fit jeans and the certitude that we'll be back buying more...

Gallery: London's MQT Jeans

Tags: denim, england, jeans, london, menswear, mqt, mqt jeans, MqtJeans, uk

Continue reading “Luxist Visits the Denim-meisters at London's MQT Jeans”

Vince Clarke in Surrey, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Today's estate combines two of my favorite things, round houses and 1980s music. This home in Surrey, England belongs to musician Vince Clarke, a founding member of iconic 1980s synth-pop bands Depeche Mode, Yaz and Erasure. According to the Wall Street Journal's Hot Properties, Clarke had the home built in 1990 and it was designed by architect John Newton. The three-bedroom home sits on 5.6 acres. Features include a sitting room with games area, open plan dining room and a circular kitchen that overlooks the lower ground floor with indoor swimming pool. There is a separate building on the property which was used as a recording studio but could be turned into a gym. It is listed at £1.995 million.

Gallery: Vince Clarke In Surrey

Tags: celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, england, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, surrey, vince clarke, VinceClarke

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Christie's Auction Pumped by Yves, Keeps Art Market Recovery Going

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The 51 lots that Christie's sent under the gavel last night were chosen carefully. The auction was designed to succeed ... which is what you would have thought of every auction until the middle of 2008, right? Nonetheless, the auction house made some bold moves in an effort to push up prices, but only offered lots that would justify putting the necks of its constituent decision-makers on the chopping block.

With a final tally of more than $61 million in line with the high end of the presale estimate, it would appear that Christie's made some smart calls. Forty-six of the lots achieved sale, with one clearing £5 million, nine surpassing £1 million and 16 beating $1 million. Compared to last year's sale, when only 29 lots were offered, the total take surged 3.7X. I tend to be pretty skeptical, but even that sort of result is enough to make me admit that the art market's recovering.

Buyers in Europe and Britain were most active, picking up 41 percent and 33 percent of the sales, respectively. Collectors in the United States followed with 22 percent and Asia at 4 percent.

Source

Tags: andy warhol, AndyWarhol, art auction, art auctions, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, ArtMarket, auction, auction-house, AuctionHouse, auctions, britain, Christies, ChristiesAuction, ChristiesAuctionHouse, england, laurence graff, LaurenceGraff, london, Sotheby, sothebys, warhol, yves klein, YvesKlein

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The Best Victorian Country Houses in England

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Books

England's great tradition of country houses spans 700 years, but reached its magnificent apex in the 19th century, Michael Hall demonstrates in his beautiful new book Lasting Elegance: English Country Houses 1830 - 1900 from Monacelli. The houses, designed by the most eminent architects of the age, were bigger, more elaborate, and more lavishly furnished than ever before, Hall notes. The English country house became a byword throughout Europe and in America for luxury, technological innovation, and convenience. Hall's opulently illustrated survey draws on the vast archive of the great British magazine Country Life to present the fullest visual record yet published of the Victorian-era country house in England and Wales. The photographs contained in the book are in many cases the only record of great houses in their heyday, such as Orchardleigh in Somerset, Hewell Grange in Worcestershire, Thoresby Hall in Nottinghamshire, and Stokesay Court in Shropshire - featured in the 2007 award-winning ﬁlm Atonement - all sold in the 20th century and their contents dispersed.

Tags: country house, Country Life, CountryHouse, CountryLife, England, English country house, EnglishCountryHouse, mansion, UK, Victorian

French Champagne Loses To British Sparkling Wine in International Competition

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The Bollicine del Mondo is an international wine contest organized by Italy's leading wine magazine Euposia. Held at the famous restaurant Antico Bottega del Vino in Verona, Italy the contest revealed a surprise winner in the sparkling wine category. The winner this year was Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée 2003 produced in Sussex. It is probably the very first time a British wine maker has held the honors of producing the best bubbly in the world.

The contest winner was chosen in a blind taste test by a panel of winemakers, oenologists, sommeliers and journalists and beat out such established makers such as Bollinger and Louis Roederer. There were 52 entries in the category and Nyetimber was the only producer to have two wines make it into the top 17. The Nyetimber 2001 Blanc de Blancs, which was also entered, came in 12th ahead of seven of the champagnes.

Certainly there has been a growing appreciation recently of sparkling wines that are made outside the Champagne region of France. In fact, many people never have been exposed to the lovely sparkling wines that come from other countries such as Prosecco from Italy and Cava from Spain. Not only are these wines often just as good as Champagne but their price tag is significantly lower. The sparkling wines from England are no exception and retail for around £25 to £30.

Another point of interest is that the grapes used in the winning wine are grown on vines in the south of England whose soil composition is very similar to that of the Champagne region. In fact Luxist reported in 2007 that French champagne maker Roederer was investigating buying land in the very area that the winning vineyard is located. Stuart and Sandy Moss who own the vineyard specifically chose the 120 acre estate for this reason and started cultivating the three classic champagne varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Tags: british, champagne, competition, england, France, sparkling wine, SparklingWine, wine, winning

Enron Tale Makes Beautiful Music

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Can a play about accounting really deliver? Well, according to a review in Bloomberg News, "Enron" really adds up. Close to a decade after the company that was once #7 on the Fortune 500 list collapsed, bringing accounting firm Arthur Andersen with it, Lucy Prebble has brought it to the stage in London, now at the Neal Coward Theatre. Singing, dancing and slapstick are mixed with a healthy dose of realism to guide the audience through rise and fall of Enron.

Dinosaurs and light sabers are brought into the action to illustrate the work of then financial wizard Andrew Fastow (played by Tom Goodman-Hill), whose off-balance sheet companies, called "raptors," came to life as named and a project called "Death Star" led to the crossing of weapons a la Jedis.

The performances are said to have become profound, with Samuel West's Jeffrey Skilling showing the horror of the fall and Amanda Drew's Claudia Roe (fictional) adding a human touch as the character who represents the opponents Skilling pushed out of his way.

It's been a while since Enron dominated the headlines, and we've since had the mortgage-precipitated financial crisis to remind us of the power of greed. But, Enron kicked off the new millennium, a single company that destroyed vast amounts of value ... and now it's all set to song.

Source

Tags: Andrew Fastow, AndrewFastow, england, Enron, Jeffrey Skilling, JeffreySkilling, london, stage, theater, theaters, theatre

High Hopes for London Art Auctions

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The London art auctions are upon us, and a year has made a hell of a difference. The auctions at Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips de Pury are expected to fetch at least $104 million, which would be an increase of 68 percent over the same season in 2009. If the houses can pull this off, the art market will probably breathe a collective sigh of relief after more than a year of downright awful results.

At this point last year, the art market was in miserable shape. It was already in trouble, as the recession had begun to crystallize over the summer of 2008, a process which was hardened by the financial market meltdown in September. By the end of the year, prices had plummeted, and the practice of guaranteed minimum pricing had generally been abandoned.

By the end of 2009, signs of a recovery began to emerge, though few were willing to commit to it. A few pieces, such as Andy Warhol's "200 One Dollar Bills" turned in strong performances, but nothing was solid enough to call a trend. Nonetheless, hopes are high for the next round of sales, which will include museum-caliber paintings by Peter Doig and Yves Klein. Shown at right is Andy Warhol's Dollar Sign estimated at $1,950,000 - $2,925,000 at Christie's London Post War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction on February 11.

Tags: andy warhol, AndyWarhol, art auction, art auctions, art collecting, art collection, art collector, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, ArtCollecting, ArtCollection, ArtCollector, Artists, ArtMarket, artwork, auction house, auction houses, AuctionHouse, AuctionHouses, basquiat, Christies, damien hirst, DamienHirst, england, jean-michel basquiat, Jean-michelBasquiat, Jeff Koons, JeffKoons, london, lucian freud, LucianFreud, peter doig, PeterDoig, phillips de pury, PhillipsDePury, sothebys, yves klein, YvesKlein

Continue reading “High Hopes for London Art Auctions”

Artists to Watch in 2010

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

What does 2010 have in store for the art market? Well, it's starting to look like this is the year the market will finally (begin to) recover, though there could be some trepidation at points. Better pieces are coming under the gavel, and serious collectors are interested in artists with real track records. As things loosen up, emerging artists and those just past that stage (think Ben Krell for the former and Nelson Diaz for the latter) will start to see better conditions, as the logjam in the auction houses, once broken, should ease the pressure on galleries and also lead to some progress in private sales. Basically, the return of liquidity to the art market will be better for everyone.

Almost everyone.

This year, some artists won't enjoy as much of the recovery (if it happens ... just to hedge our bets) as others. Their prices were run up too quickly, making the subsequent fall severe. These artists, auction darlings who don't have the history or potency of a Lucian Freud or even a Richard Prince. Yet, they shot out of the emerging artist category years ago. In 2010, these artists, including Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, will occupy something of a purgatory, as the art market resets values through upward bidding, now that the decks have been washed clean.

Source

Tags: art auction, art auctions, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, ArtMarket, banksy, BanksyGraffiti, basquiat, china, damien hirst, DamienHirst, england, francis bacon, FrancisBacon, jean-michel basquiat, Jean-michelBasquiat, Jeff Koons, JeffKoons, london, lucian freud, LucianFreud, phillips de pury, PhillipsDePury, richard prince, RichardPrince, sothebys

Continue reading “Artists to Watch in 2010”

Hirst Gets Last Laugh

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The critics weren't kind to Damien Hirst's latest collection, which was exhibited at the Wallace Collection. It doesn't seem to have mattered. All news is good news in Hirst-land, as evidenced by the sales of his most recent effort. Hirst opened a new show yesterday at White Cube. Even if the media isn't crazy about his, the artist's collectors haven't ended the love affair. Five of the seven largest pieces in his new "Nothing Matters" collection sold before the show opened, with the highest-priced piece hitting $15.7 million, despite an initial point of only 235,000 pounds.

The show runs at White Cube through January 20, 2010, but you'll have to accept that you'll be checking out what is now other people's property. Hirst collectors are nothing if not loyal.

Tags: art, art galleries, Art Gallery, ArtGalleries, ArtGallery, artist, artwork, damien hirst, DamienHirst, england, galleries, gallery, london, united kingdom, UnitedKingdom, wallace collection, WallaceCollection

Buy Your Own Mining Museum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

A unique bit of history is up for sale in Tavistock, England. Morwellham Quay was a mining town that served silver, tin and copper mines in the area. It has been turned into a restored Victorian mining village and museum and is a world heritage site. But lately visitors has dropped off and a few months ago the Devon County Council decided to stop funding the center. It went into administration and closed at the end of last month. Now, as the BBC News reports, it's up for sale for a guide price of £1.1million. Potential buyers must submit sealed bids and written proposals on what they would like to do with the site by January 21.

The village is set in 200 acres and has an open-air museum that includes the restored 19th century village, the docks and quays (complete with restored ship), the George and Charlotte copper mine, a Victorian farm and nature reserve.

Source

Tags: england, mining, morwhellam quay, MorwhellamQuay, museum for sale, MuseumForSale

Hold A House Party at Temple Guiting Manor in the Cotswolds

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Design

Maybe you can't afford to buy a Luxist Estate of the Day, however you may enjoy living in in similar splendor for a week. In fact why not invite your friends and family to share a totally planned fun filled vacation, otherwise known as a House Party.

Sophie Conran, the daughter of the renowned British design guru Terrance Conran, has teamed up with Temple Guiting Manor to help visitors plan a bespoke country house party. A perfect way to celebrate a holiday, special occasion or just enjoy time away with family and friends, a house party allows for a quieter more relaxing level of conspicuous consumption. Ideally, even though you may be the host or hostess, that role exists for you in name only. Renting a manor house somewhere in the British Isles is a stress free way to entertain as if you were in your own luxury home but with none of the ensuing hassles.

Temple Guiting Manor, which has been privately owned since the 15th century, has been restored to the highest standards. Architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner stated that it is "one of the finest, if not the very best of the small Cotswold Tudor houses." While the house which sleeps 10 is available on a self-catering basis why not let Sophie and her team cater to your every whim for a true break. Not only do they provide you with all the normal amenities of a fine hotel but there are countless experts in every category imaginable to inspire you and your guests. Sophie's philosophy is "If you want to make something, then learn it from the best".

Examples include:

Executive chef Alan Bird, of the ever popular celebrity frequented The Ivy, will hold a master class.
Jim Murray proclaimed by the BBC as the "world guru of whiskey" will educate you on the process of making whiskey.
Knitting and crochet lessons from Clare Ward and Sarah Coates
Flower design workshop with talked about florist Nikki Tibbles whose clients include Gucci, Chanel and Ralph Lauren
Simon Stocken a former national bridge and poker player will teach you all the tricks you need to excel at the games

Favorite country pursuits such as golf, gliding, fishing, clay pigeon game shooting are also available.

The bespoke house party tradition has been updated for the modern lifestyle, and it is a unique experience to be able to relax in a rural retreat in a spectacular setting where every whim and need is accommodated by the most talented in the business.

Gallery: Temple Guiting Manor

Tags: Cotswolds, England, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, house party, HouseParty, Sophie Conran, SophieConran, Temple Guiting Manor, TempleGuitingManor, Terrance Conran, TerranceConran, travel, wintertravel, wintertravel-pedia

The Classicist: Celebrating the English Country House

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Books, The Classicist

We have always been entranced by the history, both cultural and architectural, of the grand country houses of England. The London-based magazine Country Life has long been the essential chronicle of these iconic estates, having featured a different country house in each weekly issue since it was founded back in 1897 and advertised many hundreds more in its property pages. A stunning new book, The English Country House, by Mary Miers from Rizzoli is sourced from the magazine's incredible archives. More than 400 images, mostly in color, highlight 62 houses encompassing a range of architectural styles spanning seven centuries beginning with the medieval Stokesay Castle and also examining the decoration, gardens, and landscapes, settings that inspire a continuing tradition of sporting style via country pursuits pursued with panache such as hunting and shooting, as well as whole schools of interior design.

As a result of its famous series of beautifully illustrated and authoritative articles, Country Life amassed an "astonishing library of photography and scholarship that provides a fascinating record of changing tastes and approaches to the country house and its garden over the past century," Miers notes. The book is illustrated almost entirely with images from its famous picture library, many of them by leading photographers of their day. The focus is not on the world-famous palaces that have now become museums, but rather the sort of houses to which Country Life has had privileged access over the years, many of which are still private homes often occupied by descendants of the families that built them. In the gallery you can preview photos from the book of Parnham House in Dorset, Honington Hall in Warwickshire, Claydon House in Buckinghamshire, and Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire.

Gallery: The English Country House

Spanning more than seven centuries, these houses were nearly all built as an "expression of status at the center of a landed estate, many interpreting the mainstream architectural trends of the day with their own distinctive provincial character," Miers notes. "They celebrate that rich seam of English domestic architecture that reflects, through a variety of material and design, the diversity of the English landscape and its regional traditions of craftsmanship." Punctuating the book at intervals in the form of booklet inserts on rich, uncoated paper are six essays by leading British architectural historians that set the English country house into its social context and chart "the changing tastes in decorating and collecting, the development of ancillary buildings, gardens and landscapes, and finally, its influence in the United States" in our own magnates' mansions.

Tags: architecture, castle, country house, Country Life, CountryHouse, CountryLife, England, garden, photography, UK

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