TITAN OF THE THAMES
The Life of Lord Desborough

AN EVENING TO CELEBRATE TITAN OF THE THAMES: THE LIFE OF LORD DESBOROUGH

A book by Sandy Nairne and Peter Williams.

The Star is hosting a three course Edwardian style dinner in celebration of the publication of TITAN OF THE THAMES: The Life of Lord Desborough. This special evening will begin with an introduction from Deborah Gage, who will set the scene against the backdrop of the Edwardian era. Sandy Nairne will entertain with tales of the life and achievements of Willy Desborough, a figure whose brilliance has, to date, been largely ignored. Viscount Gage, grandson of Willy Desborough, will share childhood memories of his grandfather and David Cazalet, great-grandson of Willy Desborough will touch upon growing up amidst the legacy of this great figure.

William (Willy) Grenfell, Lord Desborough KG (1855-1945) was renowned in his lifetime as one of the greatest all-round sportsman in the world and an outstanding public servant, and for many he was the epitome of the perfect English gentleman. A man of boundless energy and a skillful networker – chairing or sitting on at one time some 80 committees – he threw himself behind a host of causes, from bimetallism to establishing a fixed date for Easter. Central in his life was his outstanding success in the near-impossible task of staging the first Olympics in Britain, at White City in 1908, at only two year’s notice.

Signed copies of ‘Titan of the Thames: The Life of Lord Desborough’ will be available for sale during the dinner, or from Much Ado Books.

About the hosts

DEBORAH GAGE – art dealer and consultant, established the Charleston Trust in 1980 to save Charleston Farmhouse on the Firle Estate, curator and family historian at Firle Place.

SANDY NAIRNE CBE FSA – a writer and curator, previous director of the National Portrait Gallery. He is chair of the Fabric Advisory Committee at St Paul’s Cathedral, Deputy Chair of the National Trust and chair of the Art Fund. Recent books include Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners (Reaktion Books, 2011) and The Coincidence of Novembers (Unbound, 2020)

H. NICOLAS, 8th VISCOUNT GAGE – born in Firle Place, grew up in Sussex, educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford. Lived at Panshanger with his siblings during WWII, one home of his grandparents Lord and Lady Desborough. Managed the Fawsley Estate, Northants between 1960 and 1982 until he succeeded to become the 8th Viscount Gage in 1993, returning to live in Sussex. Two sons by his first marriage, and a third with his second wife, Alexandra. An accomplished horseman, a free spirit with a love of travel and friends, Nicolas has long enjoyed an interest in the arts, being an artist himself, and he wrote his memoirs, My Life So Far in 2020.

DAVID CAZALET – After school David worked for Roger Scruton’s Jan Hus organisation in Czechoslovakia before the Iron Curtain came down. He discovered his love for the guitar during his time at University in Chile during Pinochet’s regime, where music became the voice of political dissent. This set him on a creative journey as a singer, songwriter and composer. His Requiem for Aleppo debuted at Sadlers Wells and was shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Speech Award 2017. In his work life as an entrepreneur David established one of the first cybersecurity companies in the UK, IRM, which he sold in 2017. Today, David and his wife Atalanta, an artist, and son Xan live in Sussex, where they have established a hub of entrepreneurialism and creativity.