Another lesser-known London treasure

[oursin]

This morning to Sothebys to meet up with a couple of colleagues to take a look at something coming up for auction in which we might be interested.

It may not be well-known, dear readers, that Sothebys has allocated times when anyone can go in and view stuff that's coming up in the various auctions (this doesn't seem to pertain to the sales of fine wines, but I suppose one wouldn't want to just look at them).

They also have a cafe.

I rather recommend this to people who may find themselves in the West End of London with a little time on their hands.

It also provides opportunity to observe Sloaney young ladies with names such as Samantha, Sabrina and Sophie: I tend to assume that they are front of house decoration, and the real experts squat like toads in hornrimmed glasses somewhere out of sight.

Comments

[gillo]

I suspect the Nice Young Ladies also have History of Art degrees. My daughter is currently just finishing a course at the Sotheby's Institute on the art market. It's wicked competitive to get a job there. (Probably doesn't hurt if Daddy owns an estate or two with a few things he might want to auction, mind you.)

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

There seem to be endless parades of Nice Young Ladies at auction houses; what happens to them? What's the career path? They can't all be opening antique-shoppes-cum-tearooms.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

They get married? I may be wrong (see gillo above), but it does rather strike me as one of those 'filling in time until the wedding' jobs for a certain type of young woman - and also, presumably, provides an opportunity to meet the Right Sort of Potential Husband.

[smellingbottle.livejournal.com]

I think this is about right. I knew a remarkably silly young woman from Oxford, the former girlfriend of a friend, who departed for an art history course, and was next observed photogenically holding up one of Princess Margaret's tiaras on television during the auction of PM's effects. Engagement recently announced in the right paper.