Definietely Fanes - Not Thanes.

It is indeed about selling off the family silver and I use it often to point out that it is not a new thing! I would be careful of saying it is just the Tories though, LF - Who was it sold off the gold reserves? Don't get me wrong - I'm no Cameronite but I am pretty sure that given the option, most politicians will sell of their own Grandmothers.

I'll check out the Wren conection but I think it may be as you say, Gnomad. Just a piece of literary embelishment.

Cheers for the input one and all.

DeG