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The 'Black Monday' fall-out was evident at the school gates this morning; all the banker's wives clutching their Chanel handbags a little tighter than usual and looking pale under their St Tropez tans. But it's not the families of the financial big boys I'm feeling sorry for - if they had any sense (although there's a big fat question mark over that considering what's just happened with Lehman Brothers) they would have salted away some of those gigantic bonuses they've been enjoying for years. It's all the regular people - the back office staff, the PAs, the security guards, cleaners and similar - who earned a decent but not remarkable wage, who'll be wondering if they're going to be able to make the mortgage this month. They're the ones who are really going to feel the pinch.

But at the same time as storm clouds gather over the City and nails are bitten to the quick all over Kensington, Brit-art wunderkind Damien Hirst has been raking it in, making over £111m at the Sotheby's sale, which indicates there are still people out there spending their cash with reckless abandon. Personally, I just want to know which mad fool happily forked out over £10m on the formaldehyde bull with 18-karat gold horns...

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Anonymous said…
Crazy isn't it - but 'bully' for Damien Hirst. You see what a Grade E in Art A-level and a few years of doing what you like at Goldsmith's can do for you. I think your 'mad fool' purchaser might be an Indian businessman - who else could want such a monstrosity in their hall/garden/restaurant?

Those Chanel handbags at your school gates - are you sure they are the real thing and not the very realistic fakes you can buy at any Italian market? And those St Tropez tans - out of a bottle from Boots. Bankers are not known for their generosity and, when times get hard, the poor wives have to keep up appearances when hubby reduces their allowance. So feel sorry for your school gate compatriots, YLM. And advise them to go in search of the 'new' Bad Boys of the Art World for that is where the filthy lucre is.
6:12 pm
Kate B. said…
Anon, you are so right. The golden bull will doubtless turn up in the Taj Mahal on Chelmsford High Street very soon. Makes a change from those lovely 'moving' pictures of waterfalls anyway.

Where you're wrong though is on the authenticity of the Kensington Chanel mountain - I've inspected those things and they are 100% kosher (so to speak). The Kensington wives may be total fakes but their accessories are ALWAYS the real thing.
11:10 pm
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