Christmas auction

I had to leave Margaret Thatcher's Christmas party a little early last night to go on to the Hurlingham Club to conduct an auction for the Prince's Trust. The auction duties were split between myself and Mr Eric Knowles (of the Antiques Roadshow), and between us we raised just over £60,000. The room was full of young people who were keen not only to help the charity but to begin an art collection. I noticed several young couples for whom it was of course a big decision to spend as much as £3,000 or £4,000 on a work of art. But if they continue collecting as I have done all my life, when they reach my age they'll have spent a good part of their income, but had an immense amount of pleasure from building their collection.