Cavendish has been fortunate in recent years to attract the very best professional philatelic talent available in Britain today. Its principal experts have an enviable range of international experience, but they have all discovered that they can provide a better service from the centre of England than they ever could in the crowded metropolis that they have endured and forsaken. Cavendish's staff members include:-
James Grimwood-Taylor – (above centre) Chairman and owner of Cavendish since 1988. James’ expertise in British and worldwide Postal History is well known, as are his entertaining displays to philatelic societies. His other credentials include over 10 years as National Judge, over 20 years as a professional philatelist, plus membership of more than 50 Philatelic/Postal History societies in the UK and overseas. His personal collections include International Gold Medal winners ‘British Postal Reforms’ and ‘English Postal History’, plus British Offshore Islands, Upper Silesia and Rhodes as well as a comprehensive collection of antique pencils and writing equipment.
Ken Baker – (above left) After 12 years as Managing Director of Cavendish is now Vice-Chairman.Prior to which he had spent over 20 years with Christie’s Robson Lowe. Ken is an experienced professional philatelist with particular expertise in British and Commonwealth stamps, especially line-engraved issues. He has been a keen collector of Papua, Bristol Postal History and thematics.
Paul Grimwood–Taylor – (above right) Company Secretary and fifth generation partner in the family law firm in Derby, Taylor Simpson & Mosley. Paul’s professional expertise in Wills, Estate Planning and Trusts is of immense value to all serious collectors who wish to protect their philatelic assets.
Patricia Grimwood–Taylor – Pat is James’ ‘other half’. She accompanies James on his visits to Societies, and is a keen collector of Social Philately and has recently formed a Gold Medal collection of South Australia.
John Paulson – a well known lifetime collector, now specialising in the stamps of Gibraltar and the newest member of our team, having recently taken early retirement from the law.
Ian Kellock – Senior Describer at Cavendish since 1995 with an exceptional general philatelic knowledge, and special expertise in European and Latin America and twentieth century issues. Ian has collected France and Antarctica.
Paul Watkins – A recent convert to professional philately and already a full–time describer; Paul is a long–time collector specialising in the stamps and postal history of France and Continental Europe.
Chris Woodcock – Chris is responsible for Cavendish’s Accounting Office and the processing of all supplier and auction accounts. She was Company Accountant for a major international engineering company prior to joining Cavendish.
Sonia Wroblewski – Sonia joined Cavendish in 1988 and has always been the Company’s ‘friendly face’ greeting collectors from around the world. She is in charge of purchasers’ and vendors’ accounts and catalogue subscriptions.
Nick Wraith – Nick joined Cavendish in 1997 and was made Managing Director in November 2004. His collecting interests have changed recently and now include the British Indian Ocean Territories (where he was Post Master General for a year!), Accountancy Marks, Parcel Post and Post UPU GB Overseas Destination mail. He is still responsible for catalogue production, Literature auctions, Webmaster etc.
John Cowell – John’s professional philatelic career began in 1969 His worldwide philatelic knowledge in both stamps and postal history developed during his 8 years with Feldman (Switzerland) and Stanley Gibbons in London. Based in Lincolnshire, John serves as Consultant/representative for collectors in the North-East.
Charles Leonard – Formerly the Managing Director of Christie’s Robson Lowe, Charles has been a Cavendish Consultant since 1997. His professional philatelic career spans over 30 years. A member of numerous societies, Charles collects Imperial Russia, Gambia and the (odd!) GB item and is the Southern England Representative.
Almost all the members of Cavendish’s team who are collectors also regularly give specialised Philatelic Lectures, without charge, to Philatelic Societies and non-collector groups (the latter ranging from Women’s Institutes and local schools, to Archaeological Societies and the National Art Collections Fund, to name just a few) all over Britain. The subjects of their lectures are likewise very diverse; they include the History of Beer & Brewing, Animals on Stamps, Phantasy Stamps and Insanity, the Postal Histories of Derbyshire, Staffordshire and the Road to the Isles, English Postal History 1400-1900, and an Introduction to Philatelic Auctions. Geoffrey Manton’s anecdotal after-dinner speeches were also legendary, and J.G.-T. finds him a difficult act to follow in that regard!