What do Kermit the Frog, a signed first edition of John Major’s autobiography and a black leather House of Commons Dispatch box have in common? They all belonged to the late Baroness Betty Boothroyd and are up for auction with Special Auction Services of Newbury, Berkshire, on January 23.
Boothroyd was a long serving Labour MP who, in 1992, became the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, a role she held until 2000. Upon her retirement, she was described as ‘something of a national institution’ and an ‘outstanding speaker’ by Tony Blair and John Major respectively.
Sticking to the theme of Mr Major, one of the lots from the sale is a signed first-edition autobiography of the bespectacled former Prime Minister, estimated between £100 and £150.
Other lots include the official programme for the Inauguration Ceremonies of President John F Kennedy and Vice-President Lyndon B Johnson (£300-£350), a black leather House of Commons dispatch box (£200-£300), which might get you some interesting looks should you use it on the commute.
There is also a rather pleasant waste-paper bin with a picture of a cat on it (£100-£150) and a ‘Parliamentary bottle of single malt scotch whisky, Madam Speakers Order Specially Selected Single Malt Scotch Whisky’, in a pine fitted case (£200-£300).
Of particular interest to me is Lot 105, described simply as ‘a collection of frog related items’ (the collective noun of which, should you be interested, is 'an army'). Estimated between £50-£100 (a steal if you ask me), the lot contains two Kermits, a standing paper toad with mortar board and various enamel frogs. Seemingly included in almost every lot (at least from the pictures) is a photograph of Boothroyd herself.
The sale, which comprises ‘items relating to the Baroness’s career as well as her home life’, will see the proceeds split between six charities.
The Country Life Podcast
Listen to all the episodes of the Country Life Podcast.
Winston Churchill had his cakes and ate them
A new exhibition from the National Trust shows how Britain's greatest Prime Minister would celebrate his birthday with some massive
My Favourite Painting: Victoria Vyvyan
CLA President Victoria Vyvyan selects a religious engraving by Albrecht Dürer.
-
British racing driver Jamie Chadwick’s consuming passionsJamie Chadwick reveals who inspires her, what gets her up in the morning and why she’d never sell one of her race helmets.
-
‘If there were Olympic medals for apologising, we English would win gold, silver and bronze’: Why does sorry seem to be the easiest word?What is that makes the British so overly fond of apologising?
-
Churchill's dentures, Bruno's boxing glove and Hurst's boot: The strangest auction in the Cotswolds is imminentThe Cotswold Auction Company's February 6 sale features some surprising lots from the Second World War, the world of sport and many many stamps.
-
Jean-Michel Basquiat painting goes under hammer for $110.5 millionBasquiat was 21 years old and still a relative unknown when he painted this piece.
-
Scarfe’s biting satire to go under the hammer at Sotheby’sA selection of cartoons by satirical cartoonist Gerald Scarfe are going under the hammer at Sotheby's.
-
Sotheby’s experts to appraise your antiques during Meissen event at ClivedenA team of experts from Sotheby's will be giving appraisals of antiques during an event organised by porcelain maker Meissen at the beautiful Cliveden House.
-
Long-neglected ‘copy’ turns out to be original Stubbs worth £750,000Gallery owner Archie Parker thought something was amiss when he came across this painting in an online sale catalogue, and he flew to New York to play out his hunch. It paid off.
-
Constable ‘added rainbow after his masterpiece first went on display’One of Britain's greatest-ever artists apparently touched up one of his most famous works to mark the death of a close friend.
-
Princess Eugenie helps boost Children & the Arts charity auction at Christie’sThe princess has helped secure donations of works, and has given her patronage to the sale helping a charity which she says has left her "truly inspired".
-
Sotheby’s set new London auction record with £48m Klimt leading the wayA sale of Impressionist, Modern and Surrealist paintings at Sotheby's on Wednesday night set the record for an auction staged in London.
