{"id":181614,"date":"2025-11-15T06:52:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T06:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/181614\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T06:52:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T06:52:16","slug":"he-knew-they-werent-his-the-extraordinary-vintage-wine-row-tearing-apart-one-of-britains-most-prominent-aristocratic-families-as-the-earl-of-bradford-threatens-to-sue-his-son-and-glamorous-daught","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/181614\/","title":{"rendered":"‘He knew they weren’t his’: The extraordinary vintage wine row tearing apart one of Britain’s most prominent aristocratic families as the Earl of Bradford threatens to sue his son and glamorous daughter-in-law"},"content":{"rendered":"

As inheritances go, 12,000 acres on the Shropshire\/Staffordshire border, plus 130 farmhouses, cottages and other rental properties, is pretty enviable.<\/p>\n

But perhaps it\u2019s not quite enough for Alexander Bridgeman, Viscount Newport, the 7th Earl of Bradford\u2019s eldest son and heir.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the bracing conclusion of family friends monitoring a simmering row between father and son which, I\u2019m told, now threatens to boil over in court.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a dismal prospect, given that Richard Bradford, as the earl prefers to be known, worked tirelessly to save the estate when his father died suddenly in 1981, leaving Bradford, then 33, to contend with an \u00a38 million tax bill. He paid it off, though at the price of parting with the family\u2019s ancestral seat, Weston Park.<\/p>\n

Determined that Alexander should not suffer similarly, he handed him control of the estates in 2019. \u2018He then also left the farmhouse that he\u2019d lived in and gave it over to Alexander, to avoid tax,\u2019 recalls<\/a> a family chum. \u2018And he left behind a quantity of extremely good wine, intending to remove it.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Earl <\/p>\n

Earl Of Bradford Richard Bridgeman, who is threatening to sue his son for the loss of wine – \u00a330,000’s worth<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Earl’s son, Alexander Bridgeman, with his wife Eliza Liepina<\/p>\n

But it seems he never got the chance. \u2018Before he could do so, Alexander and some friends, including a ghastly man who encouraged him, drank it all.\u2019<\/p>\n

The subsequent row, the chum adds, has \u2018rumbled on for years, and now it\u2019s got so bad that Richard\u2019s threatening to sue Alexander for the money \u2013 the loss of the wines. About \u00a330,000.\u2019<\/p>\n

The twice-divorced earl, who ran Porters English Restaurant in London\u2019s Covent Garden, acknowledges that his relationship with Alexander, 45, has soured. \u2018He knew that the wines were not his,\u2019 he tells me. \u2018We\u2019re not on happy terms.\u2019<\/p>\n

Alexander\u2019s wedding in 2022 to Latvian-born Eliza Liepina offered the first inkling of his cellar\u2019s fate. \u2018His best man said: \u201cI would like to thank Lord Bradford for the wonderful Chateau Latour 1967.\u201d \u2019<\/p>\n

It transpired that this wasn\u2019t said in jest. \u2018At least half a case was drunk,\u2019 Bradford tells me, reflecting that Alexander presides over \u2018some fairly raucous house parties\u2019.<\/p>\n

A bottle of Latour \u201967 could easily cost \u00a3500 \u2013 if you could find any. But it was not the most expensive wine to go down Alexander\u2019s noble hatch.<\/p>\n

Two bottles of Latour \u201955 \u2013 the best part of \u00a31,000 a bottle \u2013 were also drunk. \u2018And he went through a bottle of Palmer \u201961,\u2019 adds the earl, refraining from mentioning that Palmer \u201961 could sell for \u00a34,000.<\/p>\n

Much of the wine, he says, was acquired \u2018before [Alexander] was even born\u2019. The total cost of those drunk could indeed be \u00a330,000, he adds, explaining that, at the very least, it\u2019s \u00a320,000.<\/p>\n

An email request for the money proved fruitless, so the matter is now in the hands of his solicitors. \u2018I would much rather that he just paid me the money that I consider he owes me,\u2019 says the earl, before adding that, \u2018if necessary\u2019, he will take it further \u2013 \u2018even if it means issuing a county court summons\u2019.<\/p>\n

Queen\u2019s son sees beloved dog savaged<\/p>\n

The King turned 77 yesterday but his stepson was in no mood to celebrate.<\/p>\n

Tom Parker Bowles had just witnessed his \u2018darling\u2019 Jack Russell, Maud, savaged by a mastiff near Kensington Palace.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Tom <\/p>\n

Tom Parker Bowles, pictured with mother Queen Camilla last year, witnessed his \u2018darling\u2019 Jack Russell, Maud, savaged by a mastiff near Kensington Palace<\/p>\n

\u2018We saw a vast dog, ahead, possibly a Cane Corso, on a metal chain lead, and passed it very carefully, giving it a hell of a lot of room,\u2019 says Tom, The Mail on Sunday\u2019s restaurant critic.<\/p>\n

\u2018But it spotted Maud, dragged the owner off his feet and attacked her. It was 15 stone at least.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I eventually managed to fight off the beast, rolling about on the pavement, and desperately trying to unlock its jaws from her tiny torso.\u2019<\/p>\n

Maud, pictured, had to undergo \u2018very serious surgery\u2019 and remains in the care of an emergency vet.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want to thank the old man who hit the dog with his stick as it continued to attack,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n

\"Maud, <\/p>\n

Maud, Tom’s Jack Russel who was attacked in the park<\/p>\n

Holly’s hint she WILL waltz into Strictly job<\/p>\n

A former BBC 1 controller claimed earlier this month that Holly Willoughby was being lined up to host Strictly Come Dancing after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly leave.<\/p>\n

And Holly, 44, is in no rush to play down the rumours.<\/p>\n

Asked about them at the preview night for Winter Wonderland in London\u2019s Hyde Park, left, she made a point of talking about the programme. \u2018At the moment, I\u2019m just having a lovely time at home watching Strictly,\u2019 she tells me.<\/p>\n

Her comment comes after I revealed that former BBC bigwig Peter Fincham was tipped off about Holly by a top source, in the hair salon of all places.<\/p>\n

\u2018My hairdresser also cuts the hair of a well-known channel controller,\u2019 Fincham said. \u2018What\u2019s said in Harry\u2019s the hairdresser stays in Harry\u2019s. But he says with great confidence that Holly Willoughby will take over.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Holly <\/p>\n

Holly Willoughby, seen attending a VIP preview for Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, is said to be double-stepping into the role<\/p>\n

A ‘miracle baby’ for Victoria Aspinall<\/p>\n

Her struggle to conceive ended her marriage to casino and wildlife park heir Damian Aspinall. But now Victoria Aspinall has given birth to a \u2018miracle baby\u2019. She has posted a photograph of her child online but does not disclose the name or sex. The former Burberry executive, 39, does not seem to be in a relationship with the father.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was utterly shocked when I found out I was pregnant,\u2019 she said. \u2018For seven years, my husband and I fought for this dream: multiple rounds of IVF, miscarriages, and an endless hope that slowly eroded. It cost me everything I once loved.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Former \"She <\/p>\n

Former Burberry exeutive Victoria Aspinall revealed she’d had ‘miracle baby’. She has not disclosed the name, sex or father but said it was her ‘dream’<\/p>\n

Kids’ pitch ban for Petra’s man<\/p>\n

Life in Los Angeles isn\u2019t all sunshine and smoothies for Bernie Ecclestone\u2019s son-in-law Sam Palmer.<\/p>\n

The former vintage car salesman from Essex, who is married to Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone, reveals he\u2019s been banned from his stepson James\u2019s football club after a furious row with an official during a match.<\/p>\n

\"Sam <\/p>\n

Sam Palmer and Petra Ecclestone, the Formula 1 supremo Bernie’s daughter, in 2019<\/p>\n

\u2018There was an empty pitch behind them \u2013 the balls kept going over so I kept throwing them back on,\u2019 explains Sam, 42, stepfather to Petra\u2019s three children with ex-husband James Stunt, along with the couple\u2019s daughter, Minnie, three. The family settled into a sprawling $42 million (\u00a332 million) home in 2023. \u2018A bloke screeched up on a golf cart \u2013 big fat bloke,\u2019 Sam says. \u2018\u201cGet over there! What do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d I told him where to go. I\u2019m not having anyone speak to me like that, especially in front of my kids.<\/p>\n

\u2018I lost my temper. I really lost it badly… I don\u2019t regret it. I didn\u2019t hit the man, but in some ways, I wish I had, because I\u2019d get the same punishment. The guy obviously ran away crying and grassed me up to the club. It turned out he was the vice-chairman of the league. I called him a few choice words, but the man asked for it.\u2019<\/p>\n

All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West says there are differing views on whether actors should bring some of their own personality to the characters they play, but Imogen Stubbs knew very clearly what she thought. \u2018Imogen Stubbs, when she was at RADA on the first day, class of \u201985, she was a bit nervous,\u2019 he says of the celebrated drama school. \u2018And the tutor said, \u201cJust relax and be yourself\u201d. And she said, \u201cI don\u2019t want to be myself, I hate myself \u2013 that\u2019s why I\u2019m here\u201d. And I think that\u2019s true of quite a lot of actors.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

David Cameron ditched plans for a pool at his \u00a31.8m Cotswolds retreat after locals accused him of turning his garden into a \u2018tacky Benidorm resort\u2019.<\/p>\n

Now, the former PM has applied for a change of use of two small areas of adjoining land, making his garden bigger.<\/p>\n

His cottage, near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, already boasts a \u00a325,000 shepherd\u2019s hut in which he wrote his Downing Street memoirs. West Oxfordshire Council is expected to make a decision this month.<\/p>\n

Theatre producer JJ Powell, whose hits include Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger and Merrily We Roll Along with Daniel Radcliffe, was flattered when Esquire magazine\u2019s Mexico edition told him he had won one of its \u2018man of the year\u2019 prizes. \u2018A week later, I was informed the \u201chonour\u201d would cost me $15,000 [\u00a311,400], which I quickly rejected.\u2019 And on the night of the awards ceremony, he posted this withering comment on social media: \u2018For those of you this evening pretending to be hot stuff, the rest of us know you agreed to spend $15,000 for a bought accolade and a heavy massage of your ego.\u2019 Esquire has not responded to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

O’Toole’s stair-free fitness plan<\/p>\n

Orlando Bloom enjoyed performing with the late Lawrence Of Arabia star Peter O\u2019Toole, who played his father in 2004 epic Troy.<\/p>\n

\u2018We had this scene at the top of some stairs, and he was walking up maybe a hundred stairs,\u2019 recalls Canterbury-born Bloom, 48, who is best known for his roles in the Lord Of The Rings and Pirates Of The Caribbean films.<\/p>\n

\u2018He had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and an assistant director next to him said, \u201cHey, have you ever thought about quitting cigarettes?\u201d<\/p>\n

And he went, \u201cNo, but I\u2019ve thought about quitting stairs.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

\u00a0Stolen bag brought back… by the thief! \"Lady <\/p>\n

Lady Alice Manners with the thief who stole her bag then gave it back<\/p>\n

Here’s a crime story with, for once, a happy ending.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Duke of Rutland\u2019s daughter Lady Alice Manners was devastated when her handbag was stolen while she was shopping in west London this week. She absent-mindedly left it in the basket of her hired electric bicycle.<\/p>\n

\u2018I went into a shop for 15 mins, realised I didn\u2019t have my bag, ran out and, of course, it was gone,\u2019 Lady Alice, 30, wrote online.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She later received a message from the thief. \u2018He had my name from my driving licence and found me on Instagram,\u2019 she explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018He went on to say that he took the bag, bought something with my White Company [the luxury retailer] gift card, then decided that it was wrong. He said he was trying to be a better Muslim, cancelled the order and returned my bag to me by hand.\u2019<\/p>\n

Lady Alice shared this picture of herself with the penitent thief. She says: \u2018It is never too late to do the right thing.\u2019<\/p>\n

(Very) modern manners<\/p>\n

Planning to dig out your old Christmas decorations? Amanda Cronin has grander plans.<\/p>\n

The Real Housewives Of London star tells me she has spent \u00a34,000 on her festive baubles. \u2018My decorations are going up in the 24th [of November], which is early. A pink and black theme. We are doing the tree, garlands, a whole decoration around the door.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As inheritances go, 12,000 acres on the Shropshire\/Staffordshire border, plus 130 farmhouses, cottages and other rental properties, is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":181615,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[118,18,117,19,17,130,438],"class_list":{"0":"post-181614","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-london","14":"tag-tvshowbiz"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115552396974858073","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}