The writs are flying, with the present owners of sadly now closed Partridge Fine Art claiming that the original owners had misrepresented the business at the time of its sale, albeit 4 years ago. This does the trade in English antiques no good at all, as the brickbats make claims that, while they might have some element of truth, have more to do with the venerable company trying to carry on in business with new management, no matter how illustrious and ambitious, unable to combat the rents on Bond Street and the overall economic malaise. With Partridge’s fabulous premises vacant since late last summer, I suspect that all nearby merchants, in the trade and not, would prefer to have some sort of resolution as doubtless litigation is having a dampening effect on tenanting a glaringly empty leasehold. Will a member of the trade take over what was designed, built and came to be known as a ‘Palace of the Arts’? We can hope.
