When I joined Christie’s on October 2nd 1974, the auction house was run by a triumvirate of Old Etonians.

Jo Floyd, the tall dark Ronald Regan lookalike was Chairman. Guy Hannen, the uncompromising tough war hero was Managing Director and Patrick Lindsay, the charismatic, boys own Biggles, was in charge of the Old Master Department.

After a year on the front counter, I was seconded to the Old Master department with Patrick as my first boss. Patrick wasn’t the stereotype auction house director. Although no academic, he had an excellent eye, and was a formidable business getter, often visiting his aristocratic country house clients in his bi-plane, landing in a field nearby.

Flying with Patrick on those visits wasn’t for the faint hearted, as he navigated with a road map on his lap, and when he got lost would descend rapidly, in order to read the road signs.

Patrick was also one of the outstanding auctioneers of his generation, with an authoritative, persuasive and unflappable style. I remember an American dealer saying he felt honoured that Patrick had taken his bid! As a boss, he led by example rather than micromanaging, creating loyalty and enjoyment.

He’s best known as a collector of cars and aeroplanes, creating an extraordinary collection, all of which he drove or flew.

The jewel in the crown was his one-seater Spitfire, one of very few in private hands. He loved all things mechanical and was instrumental in resurrecting the Engineerium in Brighton and collected model steam engines housed in a barn at their country house near Hungerford.

He was fortunate to have inherited some wonderful paintings from his father, the 28th Earl of Crawford, which included the beautiful Stanley Spencer, ‘The May Tree’, of 1933, a personal favourite of mine; ‘The Horses of St Marks’, 1901, by Sickert, a magnificent Hondecoeter of birds, and ‘The Tub’ by Edgar Degas. But most of the paintings and sculpture were bought by Patrick and Amabel, which included the beautiful Augustus John, ‘On the way down to the Sea’, 1907, previously in the John Quinn Collection.

Other notable purchases were the Burne Jones drawings, ‘Study of Nimue’, and ‘Spes and Daphne’ and several Augustus John drawings and a female nude by Sir Oswald Birley, bought from his studio sale at Christie’s.

Together Patrick and Amabel were remarkable collectors, with a wide-ranging taste that seamlessly blended Old Masters, Victorian and Modern British paintings. Both were driven by the image rather than the name. Thus the paintings you saw on their wall were constantly eye catching and often heart stopping in their quality.

Lansdowne Road was a hub of entertaining with delicious food and an eclectic mix of guests, and in the summer the doors opened onto one of my favourite gardens in London.

Auction Highlights

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Auction Details

Tuesday 2 June 2026, 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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Viewing Information:

Viewing at Dreweatts London (highlights): 16-17 Pall Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5LU

• Wednesday 13 May: 10am-4pm
• Thursday 14 May: 10am-4pm
• Friday 15 May: 10am-4pm
• Monday 18 May: 10am-4pm
• Tuesday 19 May: 10am-4pm
• Wednesday 20 May: 10am-7pm
• Thursday 21 May: 10am-4pm

Viewing at Dreweatts Newbury (full sale): Donnington Priory, Newbury RG14 2JE:

• Friday 29 May: 10am-4pm
• Saturday 30 May: 10am-3pm
• Sunday 31 May: 10am-3pm
• Monday 1 June: 10am-4pm

Further Information:

General enquiries: + 44 (0) 1635 553 553 | housesales@dreweatts.com
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