Graham Kirkham, Baron Kirkham
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Graham Kirkham, Baron Kirkham, (born 14 December 1944) is an English businessman, founder of Northern Upholstery, and chairman of
sofa A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, chesterfield, or Davenport (sofa), davenport, is a cushioned piece of furniture that can seat multiple people. It is commonly found in the form of a bench (furniture), bench with Upholstery, upholstered ...
retailer DFS. Previously executive chairman of DFS Furniture Company Ltd, Kirkham is a strong political and financial supporter of the Conservative Party, and is one of
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
's richest men, with a personal fortune estimated at £1 billion. After selling DFS in April 2010 he now has a large share in
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
supermarkets. He is also now involved in fish and chip shops having bought the Whitby chain.


Early life

Adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
at the age of three weeks, he is the only son of
Edlington Edlington is a town and civil parish in the City of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, lying to the south west of Doncaster and Warmsworth. It has a population of 8,276. The original parish town of Edlington is now known as ''Old Edlington ...
miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face (mining), face; cutt ...
Tom Kirkham and his wife Elsie: ''"My whole life has been the luck of going to a good family."'' After passing the
Eleven plus exam The eleven-plus (11+) is a standardised examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools which use academ ...
, he attended Maltby
Grammar School A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
(since 1967 called Maltby Comprehensive School) and hoped to join the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
as a pilot. Failing to get the required five
O level O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), ...
s, Kirkham got a job in a local furniture store.


Career


Northern Upholstery

In 1969, having visited a few manufacturers in his daily work, he decided that making furniture was relatively easy and that by cutting out the warehouse dealers in the middle of the supply chain, he could sell direct to the public at cheaper prices. Kirkham rented a room above a
snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets: one at each corner and ...
hall in
Carcroft Carcroft is a rural village in the City of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the village is roughly north-north west of Doncaster. At the time of the 2011 Census the village fell within th ...
, and started making furniture upstairs and retailing it downstairs.


DFS

By 1983,
Darley Dale Darley Dale, formerly Darley, is a town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, with a population of 5,413. It lies north of Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock, on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent an ...
–based Direct Furnishing Supplies had become one of Northern Upholstery biggest suppliers. When Direct Furnishing Supplies went bankrupt with debts of £900,000 on a turnover of £3,000,000, Kirkham bought it. Northern Upholstery now renamed itself DFS and at the time had a total of 63 stores employing 2,000 staff. In 1993, DFS was floated on the stock market and valued at £271 million, with Kirkham and his family trusts owning just over half of the shares. This brought the Kirkham family to the attention of thieves, who in 1994 broke into the family home at
Sprotbrough Sprotbrough is a village in the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 7,548 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. The village is transected by the A1(M) motorway and is situated at the top of the Don Gorg ...
while they were on holiday. The burglars bound and gagged the housekeeper and made off with money and jewels worth £2.4m – later recovered, but still South Yorkshire's largest armed robbery. In 1998 DFS announced its first drop in profits in 28 years to the
London Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange based in London, England. the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at US$3.42 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cath ...
. In 2000 DFS announced a 79 per cent profit increase. But the revival was short lived, and in light of the continuing prevalence for
private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...
, Kirkham took the chain private again, leveraging his family's own 9.46% stake with £150 million of family funds in an eventual £496 million deal. Kirkham told the ''
Yorkshire Post ''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire, although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by ...
'': ''"It's something that's caused me fitful sleep in the time I've been thinking about it. I've no hobby, this is my hobby – it's what I do. I'm an entrepreneur. It's almost as if I can feel the adrenaline running through my veins."'' On 23 April 2010, it was announced that DFS had been sold to private equity firm Advent International for a reported £500m.


Conservative party donations

Kirkham is well known for his donations to the Tory Party which began in the 1980s. By 1996 he had lent the party £4 million in an interest free loan, and in the
1996 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1996 were appointments by most of the sixteen Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other c ...
was given a
knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
.
John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott (31 May 1938 – 20 November 2024) was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and as First Secretary of State from 2001 to 2007. A member of the ...
, then in opposition called it "the crudest example yet of honours given for financial services to the Tory Party". Kirkham responded that the honour was for his charitable work for
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and ...
and the
Animal Health Trust The Animal Health Trust (AHT) was a large national independent charity in the United Kingdom, employing 200 scientists, veterinarians and support workers. Its objectives were to study and cure diseases in Pet, pets (horses, dogs and cats), and re ...
. In September 1996 Kirkham told ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' that his donations were not "anything at all like that sort of magnitude", and that the £4m had in fact been a loan to the party from his son Michael which was repaid a few weeks later. Kirkham gave £200,000 to
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of K ...
's Ardent TV company in 1994 because he had "a burning desire to succeed". On 23 July 1999, Kirkham was made a life peer as Baron Kirkham, of Old Cantley in the County of
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
. He was one of the working peers recommended by then Tory leader
William Hague William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was th ...
, who had borrowed Kirkham's helicopter for electioneering.


Charity

Kirkham has given modestly to charity, allocating grants totalling £455,000 in 1998/99. Among his charitable donations made mainly via the Graham Kirkham Foundation, Kirkham gave £225,000 to help cancer research by
Bradford University The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...
, had a gallery named after him at the
River and Rowing Museum The River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site at Mill Meadows by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international spor ...
in Henley on Thames, and is also Deputy Patron and a member of the board of
Outward Bound Outward Bound (OB) is an international network of outdoor education organisations that was founded in the United Kingdom by Lawrence Holt in 1941 based on the educational principles of Kurt Hahn. Today there are organisations, called schools, i ...
trustees. Kirkham is also the Chairman of Trustees and a very active supporter of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award ( DofE) in the UK. Kirkham is also the president of The Friendly Band, Sowerby Bridge. Kirkham was appointed
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...
(CVO) in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Outward Bound Trust and
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...
(KCVO) in the
2021 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours for 2021 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded ...
for services to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.


Personal life

Kirkham married Pauline Fisher in 1965. The couple have two children. Kirkham has two houses in his native
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
, one in Cadeby Road,
Sprotbrough Sprotbrough is a village in the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 7,548 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. The village is transected by the A1(M) motorway and is situated at the top of the Don Gorg ...
; and
Grade II* In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
-listed Georgian mansion Cantley Hall which he bought in 1990 from motor dealer John Carnell. Neighbours complained about both a wall Kirkham built to protect his privacy, as well as the noise from a 1998 fireworks party at which the singer was
Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...
. Kirkham furnishes his homes using DFS sofas, as well as
old master In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...
paintings including
John Constable John Constable (; 11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the Romanticism, Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedha ...
's ''View of the Stour'' (bought for £6.7m) and
Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (; 14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists o ...
's ''Peasants Going To Market'' (bought for £3.5m). In 1997 Kirkham lent works by
Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French Modernism, modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism (art movement), R ...
and
Orazio Gentileschi Orazio Lomi Gentileschi (; 1563 – 7 February 1639) was an Italian painter. Born in Tuscany, he began his career in Rome, painting in a Mannerist style, much of his work consisting of painting the figures within the decorative schemes of other ...
to the
Getty Center The Getty Center, in Los Angeles, California, United States, is a campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust. The $1.3 billion center opened to the public on December 16, 1997, and is well known for its architecture, garde ...
in
Brentwood, Los Angeles Brentwood is a suburban neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, California. History General Modern development began after the establishment of the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers and Sailors in the ...
. Kirkham has long been interested in dogs, and owns Dalmatians. He has been a Kennel Club member since 1995 and while he owned DFS, it was the main sponsor of
Crufts Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, held since 1891, and organised by The Kennel Club. It is the largest show of its kind in the world. Crufts is primarily a championship conformation show for dogs, and ...
for its show in 2010. He is President of Driffield Agricultural Society and is always present on the last day of the championship dog show to make all the main presentations. With
Lord Harris of Peckham Philip Charles Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham (born 15 September 1942), is an English businessman and politician. A prominent Conservative Party donor, before switching to Labour in 2024, Harris is a member of the House of Lords. He is the ...
, he is co-owner of the "Hello" horses: Hello Sanctos, Hello Mr President, Hello M'Lady, Hello Sailor, Hello Unique and Hello Boyo, which are ridden by
Scott Brash Scott Brash MBE (born 23 November 1985) is a Scottish showjumper. He began riding the horse Hello Sanctos in early 2012. They competed as part of the British Team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London winning a gold medal in the team jumping ...
. In April 2008, Kirkham was involved in an altercation with another motorist in an alleged
road rage Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by people driving a vehicle. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists in an ...
incident. Charges of
assault occasioning actual bodily harm Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (often abbreviated to Assault OABH, AOABH or simply ABH) is a statutory offence of aggravated assault in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Hong Kong and t ...
were subsequently brought against him. In court in December 2008, Kirkham denied the charges, and claimed that while he was "not proud" of what had happened, it was he who had been the victim of a road rage attack. Kirkham was cleared of all charges after a three-day trial.


Awards

* 1995 –
Knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
* 1995 – Honorary Member of
Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mo ...
* 1997 – Honorary Fellow of the
Animal Health Trust The Animal Health Trust (AHT) was a large national independent charity in the United Kingdom, employing 200 scientists, veterinarians and support workers. Its objectives were to study and cure diseases in Pet, pets (horses, dogs and cats), and re ...
* 1997 – Honorary Doctorate from
Bradford University The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...
* 1999 – made a
Life Peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
as Baron Kirkham * 2001 – CVO * 2004 –
Yorkshire Television ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...
accolade of ''"Yorkshire Man of the Year"'' * 2021 – KCVO


Arms


References


External links


Lord Kirkham at TheyWorkForYou.com


at the
House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
register {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkham, Graham Kirkham, Baron 1944 births Living people 20th-century English businesspeople British chairpersons of corporations British manufacturing chief executives British retail company founders Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Businesspeople from South Yorkshire Conservative Party (UK) donors English adoptees English art collectors English billionaires English businesspeople in retailing English company founders English manufacturing businesspeople Conservative Party (UK) life peers Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Bachelor Life peers created by Elizabeth II Manufacturing company founders People from Doncaster