Landlord: Saatchi Went Berserk Over A Toilet

Representatives of two companies attempting to evict collector Charles Saatchi’s gallery from its South Bank premises have testified in court that the enigmatic collector flew into a rage over the use of a disabled toilet in one of the complex’s common areas. The companies “allege the gallery consistently encroached on communal areas not within its leased area,” and further accuse Saatchi himself of using “intimidatory tactics.”

Come Pillage Our Castle!

“Sotheby’s is selling more than 20,000 items from the royal House of Hanover at the Marienburg Castle near Hanover, in northern Germany. Divided into about 4,700 lots, many of royal provenance, the sale includes glass and porcelain, silver, arms and armor, old master paintings, uniforms and textiles belonging to the kings and princes of England and Hanover from the 15th through the 19th centuries.”

Good News In Buffalo, But Stormier Seas Ahead

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra has announced a balanced budget for the fiscal year just completed, and ticket sales for the fall season are well ahead of last year’s pace. But no one at the BPO is spending much time on self-congratulation: projections for the year ahead predict a $1.4 million deficit, and a large amount of government funding traditionally allocated to the orchestra is in jeopardy as a result of a statewide budget crunch.