Mr McGimpsey read Law at Queens University, Belfast, from 1971-75, before taking a commission in the Parachute Regiment. He served in Cyprus, Berlin, Canada, and Northern Ireland and was Adjutant of 3 PARA in the Falklands War in 1982. He retired with the rank of Captain in 1983.

In 1984, he turned his boyhood hobby of collecting Matchbox and Dinky models into a mail order business and subsequently formed an international club for Matchbox toy and model collectors. In 1988, he purchased the existing Chester Toy Museum, which he turned into one of Chester s top 10 tourist attractions.

Mr McGimpsey shares in interest in golf with his brother, Garth, and acted as his caddy when he became Amateur Champion in the 1985 Open and the 1986 Masters Tournament in Augusta. Mr McGimpsey plays to a single handicap standard himself and is a member of Hawarden Golf Club and Royal County Down.

He sold Chester Toy Museum in 2001, but retains an active interest in the Matchbox Club. He lives in North Wales with wife, Paddy, and three teenage children.

Bonhams saleroom in Chester, situated approximately one mile south of the city centre, conducts approximately 50 sales annually and for many years has held some of the largest sales of Golfing Memorabilia, with clubs and balls selling for tens of thousands of pounds. Mr McGimpsey is available to give free saleroom valuations and advice on buying and selling Golfing Memorabilia by appointment. Please contact Rachel Salmon on 01244-313936.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is the world s oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques remaining with British ownership. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America and in August this year, Goodmans, a leading Australian fine art and antiques auctioneer with salerooms in Sydney, joined the Bonhams Group of Companies. Today, Bonhams is the third largest and fastest growing auction house in the world. It offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further 10 throughout the UK. Sales are also held in Switzerland, Monaco, Germany and Australia and with the acquisition of Butterfields, it has salerooms in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Bonhams also has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives offering sales advice and valuation services in 14 countries. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of more than 40 Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com