When Freddie Bampfylde became Chairman of Christoby’s UK, the first thing he did was get rid of the desk in the mahogany-panelled study which became his with the new role. As he told a journalist from the Telegraph, he needed a much larger desk to accommodate Johnny the Antelope, the huge, purple antelope head by Damien Hirst which he strokes for luck before he takes an auction. He is also rather fond of the photograph of him dressed as Batman taking an auction at the Royal Hospital in aid of the Pensioners and has placed it next to the silver-framed photograph of his wife, children and pugs sitting on the sweeping stone steps leading to the doors of his house, Evenlode. Additionally, the desk accommodates large, shiny gold letters spelling out ‘ROCKSTAR’ which his elder children gave to him when he was listed as No. 1 in Tatler’s ‘10 People in the Art World You Need to Know’: ‘Freddie Bampfylde, the rockstar auctioneer you need to have on speed dial for your charity auction (just don’t forget he’s also a lord).’

He likes to look a bit snazzy; it turns the dial down on the whole lord thing, he finds

He likes to look........

© The Spectator