His has been a wonderful, often charmed and fascinating life during which he’s befriended everyone from Sir Mick Jagger and David Hockney to the late creator of Dame Edna Everage, Barry Humphries. 

At the same time, he earned a reputation as the man with the golden gavel, achieving record-breaking prices as an auctioneer – in which role he orchestrated the sale, for charity, of 79 of Princess Diana’s dresses which went for $3.25million (£2.6million) in New York, barely two months before her death.

But the New Year has dawned in grim manner for Lord Hindlip, 83, widely acclaimed for the verve and poise he displayed during his time as chairman of Christie’s but who, in recent years, has arguably become better known as father of vivacious Location, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp. He is, I can reveal, being sued for more than £321,000 in an action destined for the High Court.

According to legal documents, this unhappy state of affairs follows ‘inpatient and outpatient services’ that the Old Etonian peer received from a private healthcare company, HCA International Ltd.

Understandably, the documents refrain from going into any detail about what kind of treatment Lord Hindlip received but allege that his contract with HCA made him ‘liable for…any charges not settled by an insurer’.

Kirstie Allsopp (pictured) at the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland VIP opening launch

Lord and Lady Hindlip (pictured) at Peacock House, Addison Road in 2005

Following the treatment, the healthcare company ‘duly issued invoices’ to Hindlip’s insurer – only to be told by the insurer that the invoices ‘were not covered’ by Hindlip’s policy.

At that stage, HCA claimed that the amount owed was just over £290,000. According to legal documents, requests for payment were sent to Hindlip who ‘failed or refused to pay’.

Since then, interest has been accruing at a rate of £63.64-a-day – and will continue to do so ‘until [court] judgement or earlier payment’ – with the result that a further £30,739 has been added to the sum being claimed.

HCA declines to add to what appears in its legal claim, while Lord Hindlip could not be reached for comment. Last summer I disclosed that he had put his magnificent house in Dorset on the market for £6.5million. His late wife, Fiona, who died in 2014 after a protracted battle with breast cancer, helped him create it – and left instructions that she was to be buried in its garden.

 

Erotic artist is new pal for Sam Cam’s brother 

Just weeks after I disclosed that Samantha Cameron’s brother, Robert Sheffield, had split up with the mother of his young child, he is already enjoying a blossoming new friendship.

I hear that the baronet’s son and heir is going out with an artist, Athena Lemanska, who paints very racy pictures.

I hear that the baronet’s son and heir is going out with an artist, Athena Lemanska, who paints very racy pictures

Just weeks after I disclosed that Samantha Cameron’s brother, Robert Sheffield (left), had split up with the mother (right, Ellen Gibbon) of his young child, he is already enjoying a blossoming new friendship

So well is the new relationship going that Sheffield, 39, is said to have flown to Los Angeles to be with Lemanska, who specialises in Sєxually explicit paintings of women. An exhibition of her works last year was enтιтled ‘Hagiographies Of Whoredom’.

Sheffield declines to comment, but a friend tells me: ‘They are a couple.’

I reported last November that Old Harrovian Sheffield, a playful character who once declared that ‘it is totally OK for a man to wear eyeliner at dinner’, had split from Gucci model and actress Ellen Francis Gibbons, 31.

Their daughter turned three last month.

Ellen moved out of Sutton Park, his family seat in North Yorkshire – the childhood home of Sam Cam. He took over the running of the Georgian property in 2019.

Poignantly, perhaps, Ellen shared a post online with the words: ‘Time healing all wounds has nothing on a female friend group after a mid man mistreats you.’

 

Bond girl Gemma on speed rap 

She’s moved at pace ever since starring opposite Daniel Craig as Bond girl Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace. But Gemma Arterton is now in danger of being confined to the slow lane.

She has, I can disclose, just been fined by Brighton magistrates after a speed camera snared her Toyota exceeding 30mph on the A270, a road which alternates between dual and single carriageway.

Gemma Arterton has been fined by Brighton magistrates after a speed camera snared her Toyota exceeding 30mph on the A270

Arterton, 37, who lives in a £1.8 million farmhouse 20 miles from Brighton with her Irish actor husband Rory Keenan and their one-year-old son, should be able to cope with the fine — typically around £100.

 

A survey this week, which suggested that almost one in ten Britons wash their bath towels only twice a year, will have horrified Strictly head judge, Shirley Ballas. The ballroom dancer, 63, declares: ‘I do my sheets twice a week. I don’t like to think ᴅᴇᴀᴅ skin cells are going on the sheets.’ She adds: ‘I stayed with somebody in Dallas, pulled back the sheets of the bed, and there were dog hairs in the bed. So I slept on the floor on my coat.’ 

 

Socialite Lady Lola is playing with fire

When it comes to fashion, Lady Lola Crichton-Stuart clearly has it in the bag.

The socialite, 24, whose father was the 7th Marquess of Bute, better known as motor racing driver Johnny Dumfries, shared this pH๏τograph online of her tucked up inside a huge Alaia Paris brown carrier.

She was wearing a blue, shaggy, faux fur coat while lighting up a cigarette.

Lady Lola, who is going out with Dutch model Parker van Noord, jokes: ‘Precious cargo, in the bag.’

 

Do I detect a smidgen of career envy between Grantchester co-stars Robson Green and Tom Brittney, who plays the hunky vicar in ITV’s period police drama?

Says grizzled Green, 59, of Brittney, 33, who is leaving the show this series and working on a Hollywood film called Back In Action: ‘We love each other; we stay in contact all the time. When I was filming my fishing show, he texts me, ‘How’s it going?’ and sends me a picture of himself next to Cameron Diaz. And all I can send is a picture of me next to a big tuna.’

 

 Luvly jubbly! Del’s nice little earner  

He’s 83 and recovering from hip surgery, but Sir David Jason still has plenty of pulling power for fans of his best-known character, Del Boy Trotter.

This weekend, the actor will be making more bunce when he appears at an Only Fools & Horses Appreciation Convention in Milton Keynes. The event is a sell-out, with fans paying £450 for a gold ticket, which includes a pH๏τo with Sir David in a re-creation of the Trotter family flat in Peckham where he starred in 64 episodes of the comedy series.

Sir David Jason (pictured) speaking on ITV’s Lorraine in November 2023

Del Boy’s yellow three-wheeler will be at the convention, along with Sue Holderness (who played Boycie’s wife, Marlene) and Tessa Peake-Jones (Racquel Trotter) and Gwyneth Strong (Rodney’s girlfriend Cᴀssandra).

The event had been postponed from last summer after Sir David underwent hip surgery.

He told fans: ‘Unfortunately I have been advised I need a new bionic body part fitted. I won’t tell you which part it is, or you will all want one!’

 

Ski hats off to Lord Wrottesley! Aged 55, the former Grenadier Guards officer has triumphed in the slalom at the 68th British-Swiss Parliamentary Ski compeтιтion, held in Davos.

He sH๏τ down in 54 seconds, ahead of seven Swiss MPs, who, in turn, were minutes quicker than former PM Liz Truss, who recorded a stately 3 mins 28 seconds.

Managing a creditable 1 minute 41secs was the 8th Earl of Effingham, 52, whose great-uncle, the 6th Earl, was an ᴀssociate of the Krays, once inspiring Ronnie Kray to remark: ‘Let Effie make the effing tea.’

I trust that the British contingent celebrated with something stronger on this occasion.

 

 Jemma and billionaire Arki’s cosy family holiday

Jemma Kidd told me last summer that she and her billionaire boyfriend, Arpad ‘Arki’ Busson, wouldn’t be exchanging vows any time soon.

Yet things are getting serious between the model turned make-up artist, 49, and French businessman Arki, 60.

I hear that Arki has gone on a holiday to Paris with Jemma and her three children from her marriage to Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington’s son and heir. Also on the trip was the financier’s 11-year-old daughter with Pulp Fiction star Uma Thurman. Busson also has two sons with Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson. ‘They have become a happy blended family, and the kids really love having Arki around,’ a pal tells me.

Jemma ended her 15-year marriage to Arthur in 2020 and started going out with Arki the following year. She can continue to use her Countess of Mornington тιтle until she marries again.

 

Princess Beatrice’s father-in-law, David Williams-Ellis, is not shy about drawing attention to his connections with the royals. The sculptor shared an article on social media this week which said, ‘Being the father-in-law of Princess Beatrice, Williams-Ellis’s work includes royal commissions: his stepson, Edo Mapelli Mozzi, gave Beatrice a 45cm-tall bronze of Queen Elizabeth in 2019.

‘He also gifted one to the late Queen for her own collection.’ Williams-Ellis, 64, is the third husband of Edo’s mother, Nicola. Her second was the late businessman and Conservative politician Christopher Shale, who died of natural causes at Glastonbury festival in 2011 at the age of 56.

 

 Romance blossoms for Lady Jean  

Lady Jean Campbell is feeling on top of the world. The aristocratic model has found love with artist Orfeo Tagiuri.

Lady Jean, 26-year-old daughter of the Earl Cawdor and former Vogue editor Lady Isabella Stanhope, has shared this holiday snap of her with the U.S born illustrator beneath her on a beach in Mexico. She declares: ‘Feelin’ lucky.’ 

 

 Eyebrows have been raised at Bafta’s ‘snub’ to The Great Escaper, one of the most successful British films of last year. It stars Sir Michael Caine as World War II veteran Bernie Jordan, who escaped his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. But Bafta has long-listed the film in just one category — Outstanding British Film — despite it being both a critical and commercial success, grossing nearly £4 million at the UK box office. Sir Michael, 90, and the late Glenda Jackson were not even long-listed in the Leading Actor and Leading Actress categories, despite Caine having since announced that it would be his last film.