Geoffrey Bond
Geoffrey Bond is something of a polymath, having had careers as a solicitor, businessman, broadcaster and writer. His special interests now are creation and promotion of education initiatives for young people in heritage business and engineering.
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.
Featured Publication
Dangerous to Show
‘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.
Lord Byron’s Best Friends
Byron. The very name conjures up an image of reckless romance, scandal, adventure, wild emotions, foreign lands, poetry and glamour. But dogs? It is not widely known that man’s best friend held a precious place in Byron’s affections. This book by renowned Byron enthusiast, Geoffrey Bond, sheds new light on the poet’s canine love affairs: from bulldogs to Boatswain and beyond. There are Newfoundlands, Mastiffs, Terriers, Greyhounds, and even a Poodle! Fabulously illustrated throughout, this book also features a colourful condensed biography of the poet.
Appointments
Geoffrey Bond O.B.E., D.L., LL.D, F.S.A.
Retired Lawyer, Heritage Consultant, Businessman & Broadcaster. Broadcaster on radio and television, and an original expert on the Antiques Roadshow. Lectured and written extensively on heritage.
– Former member of the MLA Council
– Former Chair of MLA (Museums, Libraries & Archives) London and of the AIL (Acceptance in Lieu) Panel
– Former Chair, GEM (Group for Education in Museums)
– Former Chairman, Papplewick Pumping Station Trust
– Former Consul for Norway
– Founder of the City of London Bridge Ward Club Norwegian Business Scholars Trust
– Former Chairman, Scottish Byron Society & Vice-President London Byron Society
– Former Master, of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars, London
– Former Chairman, Livery Committee City of London
– Former Member Court of City of London Solicitors’ Company
– Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, London
– Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, London
Sheriff of the City of London 2003/4
– Chairman & Curator ‘Treasures of the Livery Companies Exhibition London 2012’
– Chairman & Founder – The Lord Mayor of the City of London Cultural Scholarship for young people
– Chairman & Founder – Rolls Building Art & Education Trust London
– Former Deputy Chairman – The National Justice Museum (Incorporating The National Centre for Citizenship and the Law) and Founding Trustee
– Fellow and former member of the Council of the Society of Antiquaries, London
– Member of Committees of a number of Heritage Trusts
– Founder of the Midlands Agricultural Engineering Traineeship & Apprenticeship Education Scheme
– President of Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society 2016
– Extensive fundraising over many years for a wide variety of charitable organisations, awarded the OBE in 2008 for this work
– Founder of the Midland Masonic Educational Partnership for Engineering 2018
– Chairman of Southwell Music Festival Board 2019