It’s the Sotheby’s sale of all Debo’s stuff next week. You know, the late Duchess of Devonshire, the last Mitford sister.

The sale has raised eyebrows among some, surprised that the family are flogging so many of Debo’s belongings (466 lots in all, see them all HERE), including a signed Alan Titchmarsh book and collection of shooting sticks. A good number of the lots are chicken-related, if that’s of particular interest to anyone (Mum?), including a pair of bespoke pine and plywood hen boxes still spattered with authentic chicken shit.

Anyway, the sale exhibition is open for viewing at Sotheby’s on Bond St on Monday and Tuesday with the auction kicking off at 10am on Wednesday. I’m absolutely going because I’m one of those tiresome people who wangs on and on about the Mitfords and competitively tries to out-fact any other fan of theirs I come across. There’ll probably be a few of us there, reciting lines from Love in a Cold Climate and talking fondly about Uncle Matthew.