ON the evening of March 26 one of the hottest tickets in town will be the British Antique Dealers’ Association’s Biennial Dinner which has snapped up Julian Fellowes, currently the hottest television property in town, as guest speaker.
Writer, actor and director Julian Fellowes won an Oscar for his screenplay for Gosford Park in 2002 but is now internationally famous as the creator and writer of costume dramasoap Downton Abbey which in the past two years has taken the world by storm, especially the United States where Downtonmania has reached cult proportions.
And in true Downton style Julian was elevated to the peerage last year and now sits as a conservative in the Lords as Baron Fellowes of West Stafford.
There is no fee for the speaker, but Lord Fellowes was delighted to do the honours at the request of his friend Baroness Rawlings, who is President of BADA.
The black tie dinner will be held in the restaurant of the BADA Antiques & Fine Art Fair which runs in its customary luxury marquee near Sloane Square, Chelsea from March 21 to 27 as part of the celebrations of the well-regarded fair’s 20th anniversary.
The BADA fair, which this year hosts 103 exhibitor members, is well established as the premier British showcase for British dealers and congratulations are in order for organiser Gillian Craig who has so ably over two decades guided what could have been a parochial outing into a stylish if traditional fixture which has developed a loyal following, particularly among the well-heeled locals.