The pursuit of beauty and a love of the intellectual challenge are the two main forces that have propelled me to collect throughout the 42 years of my adult life. Whilst working as a History teacher, I have explored the United Kingdom and far beyond, wherever and whenever I could. Through those explorations, I have sought out artefacts that are beautiful and that challenge me.
With regard to beauty, I have always aimed to create a home - first in Leicester, then Jerusalem and latterly in Bloomsbury, London - that was full of gorgeous things and, much more than that, to then curate for them a space that was arresting and luscious and rich.
As for being challenged, I have always been drawn to travel to places and cultures that run counter to my values and that make me feel intellectually uncomfortable. Consequently, the objects that I have searched for in my travels over the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and also across central Asia, Africa and the Arab world, are those that are not only beautiful and historically fascinating, but that also represent worlds that are completely different from my own. And when I return from those adventures, I relish the feeling of residing in a place surrounded by artefacts that constantly force me to ask myself questions about what I believe in - indeed, I have brought these things into my home precisely for that reason and also because they sit so beautifully with each other. That feeling of being aesthetically overwhelmed is deeply stimulating and strangely satisfying.
I have had the great luck and privilege over these four decades to acquire and be the custodian of so many beautiful things. But now, with undoubted wistfulness but not one bit of sadness, I have decided to call an end to the chase. My desires in life have changed. Good health and living simply is what I want and I am ready to pass my treasures on to others who will, I hope, nurture and enjoy them as I have done.
As the psalmist wrote: 'A man is likened to a broken shard, a passing shade, a dissipating cloud and a fleeting dream'. It is time for me to live a different but equally wonderful dream, now that this one of enchanted collecting and creating has ended. New horizons. Fresh vistas.
I would like to thank my beloved partner, who has enjoyed (and endured!) my passion for collecting, my wider family - the living and those no longer with us - for their constant care on the home front whilst I ventured forth and explored and collected, and my many friends and colleagues; all of these people have been honoured guests in my various homes over the years. Finally, I salute John Rolfe and his team for so professionally and sensitively seeing this lengthy and demanding project through to the auction.
