He was an original member of the Antiques Roadshow and in the 1980s he presented the long-running television series Something to Treasure for ITV.

He has also written and lectured on heritage matters. For many years he has chaired a variety of heritage organisations both at regional and national level. A collector and antiquarian, he sat on the Council of the Antiquaries Society of London. Dividing his time between London and his home in Nottinghamshire, Burgage Manor in Southwell – the home of the poet Byron from 1803 to 1808 – he had been Chairman of the Byron Society, London, Master of a number of London Livery Companies and was Sheriff of the City of London in 2004. Extensive pro bono charity work – mostly for heritage organisations – and the sponsorship of numerous educational initiatives for young people, are some of his many other activities. He is a member of the Garrick Club and the City of London Pickwick Club.

GCB Books

Dangerous to Show: Byron and His Portraits

‘Don’t look at him. He is dangerous to look at,’ said Lady Liddell to her daughter in 1817. Handsome, charismatic, aristocratic and allegedly ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’, Lord Byron (1788-1824) is one of the most captivating and recognisable figures of the Romantic Age. His face, figure and appearance added greatly to the appeal of his poetry and the close association of the man with his poetic creations encouraged a wide range of artists to create portraits during his lifetime and to memorialise him after his heroic death in Greece. This book explores Byron’s life through the intriguing stories behind these images and for the first time reproduces in colour all the key paintings, miniatures, sculptures, drawings and sketches, with a selection of prints, cartoons, engravings and other representations. It uses Byron’s own wit with words to recount his attempts to manage his own image through the way he was presented in his portraits, as well as through fashion, weight control and the disguise of his lameness.

…also available in all good book shops

“This book is like Byron, both ravishing and seductive“. Jilly Cooper CBE

“A great deal of fun, a brilliant revelation of poetic fashions and fandom. The authors successfully combine scholarship with mischief, and throw fresh light on the enduring provocations of Byron s poetry and personality, not least the astonishing fact that he was not admitted to Poets Corner, Westminster Abbey until 1969“. –Richard Holmes

Current News

Geoffrey Bond has had a long association with the country of Norway having represented its government in the United Kingdom in various capacities including being for many years Honorary Consul for Norway in the Midlands.  He is a past-president of the Association of British Norwegian Consular Corps and runs an important education scholarship between the top Business School in Oslo, BI Oslo and CASS City of London Business School.  He was recently invited to a centenary event of the Anglo/Norse Society where he was introduced to HM The Queen and King Harald V whose father the late King Olav V awarded Mr Bond the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in 1989.

Becket Rowing Club was re-established by Geoffrey three years ago, reflecting his position as an alumni of the school and his lifelong interest in rowing, purchasing for the Club a new Italian Fellipi Quad boat. He has worked with Nigel McKean and Steve Millett (both experienced oarsmen and coaches) in putting the Becket Rowing Club back on the river. The Club, as an Open Club, attracts both young boys and girls and is already making excellent progress and winning tropies.

Presenting certificate to agricultural engineer apprentice Lewis Calvert at Newark and Nottinghamshire agricultural show 2016.

May 2015

New trustees are on board at the National Justice Museum

Trustees of a charity which educates children about the law say the support of local businesses is vital to helping it achieve its national ambitions.

The Galleries of Justice Museum in High Pavement, Nottingham, has already expanded its education programme to London and Manchester.

It provides workshops, debates and mock trials to help young people keep away from crime and out of prison.

Chairman of its Egalitarian Trust, Mich Stevenson, said Cardiff and Bristol are next on the list – but without any government funding it cannot achieve this without the help of visitors and businesses.

He said: “Businesses are the support mechanisms; we cannot do anything without support. Everything helps and everybody can play a part.”

The trust, which welcomed five new members to its board yesterday, also saw the retirement of two others – Geoffrey Bond and Roy Amlot.

Mr Bond, of Southwell, was honoured with a plaque for 20 years’ service.

He said: “Working with the team at the Galleries has been one of the most fulfilling and exciting pro bono jobs I have ever had the privilege to do and I shall miss the work, but the time is now right for new trustees to carry on our work consolidating the Galleries’ national reputation.”

New trustee Stuart Bestwick has run his own businesses for the past 12 years.

Mr Bestwick, of Mapperley Park, said continuing to have support from local businesses was an “ongoing” priority for the trust.

He said: “It’s a privilege to be a new trustee. We have the opportunity to bring this model to the rest of the country and, hopefully, put Nottinghamshire on the map in another way.

“It’s important that we tell as many people about the charity as possible and businesses are important because they can contribute financially, either directly or indirectly.”

Speaking of the new trustees Mr Stevenson added: “You cannot run an organisation like this without the support of its trustees. Each person brings different expertise to the table and that’s how we have developed.

“While we are losing two of our most senior trustees we are delighted to welcome five new members on board who will assist us to develop and deliver our education programmes at heritage sites across the UK.”

Geoffrey Bond receives a special Lifetime Award from HRH The Princess Royal on the occasion of the Centenary Banquet of the City Livery Club in the Guildhall, London on Monday, 9th June. Present were the Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London and some 700 guests. Mr Bond’s long history of commitment and work for the Livery Companies of the City of London gave rise to the Award.

Early days on the Antiques Roadshow

A photograph from the GCB archives showing him with Presenter Angela Rippon and his involvement as one of the experts in the early days of the BBC Antiques Roadshow (1972-1980).