AUCTION PREVIEW: THE HEMINTON HOUSE COLLECTION

THe hemington House collection private view and talks

Thank you to everyone that joined us for our preview of the Hemington House Collection which goes under the hammer on 12 March at 9.30am, as part of our Curated Interiors auction.

It is no overstatement to say that this a collection amassed by a truly extraordinary couple, Simon & Jennifer Murray, who collectively have excelled to the limits of what’s possible - in business, world records and derring-do!

In 2000 Jennifer earned a Guinness world record as the first, and only female, to pilot a helicopter circumnavigating the globe east-to-west (and then she did it vertically pole-to-pole!). In celebration of International Women’s Day, we thought it fitting to share Jennifer’s story which took her to these great heights…

‘Simon came home one day and said he’d bought half a helicopter with a friend but he didn’t have time to learn to fly, so could I?
Well, the world of aviation was very chauvinistic. The instructor said ‘Oh so you want to do the wives’ course?’
Well of course that was like a red rag to a bull for me!
I was in my 50s. The kids were grown up and I was thinking, what now? What’s the point? What’s my function?
Your 50s are a terrific time, and your 60s and 70s are not bad, either.
So I learnt to fly and I flew around the world. The first time in ‘97 with a co-pilot, and then three years later, I did it alone becoming the first woman to make a solo flight around the world in a helicopter’.

What a story. We applaud Jennifer for her daring and upending the stereotype of women in the male dominated world of flying.

Find out more about the couple and their collection.