DW had decided to leave Grove early in 1968
The crucial factor here was a lack of suitable staff. His gardener was getting on in years, and his housekeeper’s husband – a Mr Pigache - decided for reasons not entirely clear, that he and his wife should leave Grove, where they had occupied a flat for many years rent free, and go and live in a council house.
DW could not find suitable replacements, and decided it was time to move up to London full time, where he had for some years had the lease of a flat he had acquired from the Donegalls.
The house was expected to raise at least £40,000, but did not meet its reserve. It was too big for most people to afford to live in, and too small to be converted into a nursing home or a school.
Eventually it was acquired by a local property developer, but to DW’s enormous disappointment, rather than live in it, the developer left the windows open for the rain to pour in, and applied to have it demolished.
Astonishingly, the council approved, and a minor Georgian mansion was replaced by a number of terraced houses. All that now remains are a few serpentine walls that DW built with his own hands.
With the contents – or those he cared to part with - he fared rather better. Southern Television interviewed him about the sale and the publicity generated huge public interest. The viewings were packed and on the day of the auction a bidding frenzy developed, with even commonplace items fetching as much as £50 – a large sum indeed in those days.
For the remainder of his life, DW was to be based in London.
References : ‘Drink and Ink’ pp 261-264.
Phil Baker pp 565-569.
Provenance : Private collection
The house catalogue originally belonged to Mr John Burry, who acquired Grove from DW
The contents catalogue originally belonged to DW’s lifelong friend Hilda Gardner
