{{Short description|British businessman (born 1944)}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable | name = The Lord Kirkham | honorific_suffix = KCVO | image = Graham Kirkham, Baron Kirkham 01.JPG | caption = Kirkham in 2013 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age text|14 December 1944}} | birth_place = Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | title = Chairman, DFS | occupation = Businessman | years_active = 1969– | spouse = {{marriage|Pauline Fisher|1965}} | children = 2 | module = {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes | office1 = Member of the House of Lords | status1 = Lord Temporal | term_label1 = Life peerage | term_start1 = 23 July 1999 | term_end1 = }} }}
'''Graham Kirkham, Baron Kirkham''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO}} (born 14 December 1944) is an English businessman, founder of Northern Upholstery, and chairman of sofa 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's richest men, with a personal fortune estimated at £1 billion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rich list suggests UK richest seeing funds recovering |work=BBC News |date=7 May 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13321462}}</ref> After selling DFS in April 2010 he now has a large share in Iceland supermarkets.<ref>{{cite news|last=Milmo|first=Dan|title=Iceland reports record profits|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/22/iceland-record-profits-trading-chill|work=The Guardian|accessdate=30 September 2012|location=London|date=22 June 2012}}</ref> He is also now involved in fish and chip shops having bought the Whitby chain.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harrison|first=Nicola|title=DFS founder Lord Kirkham set to batter fish and chip market|url=http://www.retail-week.com/dfs-founder-lord-kirkham-set-to-batter-fish-and-chip-market/5035439.article|publisher=Retail week|accessdate=30 September 2012}}</ref>
==Early life== Adopted at the age of three weeks, he is the only son of Edlington miner Tom Kirkham and his wife Elsie: ''"My whole life has been the luck of going to a good family."''<ref name=Star>{{cite news|title=Sofa king sitting pretty on £315m pile |url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/what-s-on/out-about/sofa-king-sitting-pretty-on-163-315m-pile-1-342906 |accessdate=16 August 2013 |newspaper=Sheffield Star |date=22 October 2002 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601011924/http://www.thestar.co.uk/what-s-on/out-about/sofa-king-sitting-pretty-on-163-315m-pile-1-342906 |archivedate=1 June 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
After passing the Eleven plus exam, he attended Maltby Grammar School (since 1967 called Maltby Comprehensive School) and hoped to join the Royal Air Force as a pilot. Failing to get the required five O levels, Kirkham got a job in a local furniture store.<ref name=Star />
==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 hall in Carcroft, and started making furniture upstairs and retailing it downstairs.<ref name=Star />
=== DFS === By 1983, Darley Dale–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.<ref name=Star />
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 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.<ref name=Star />
In 1998 DFS announced its first drop in profits in 28 years to the London Stock Exchange. In 2000 DFS announced a 79 per cent profit increase.<ref name=Star />
But the revival was short lived, and in light of the continuing prevalence for private equity, Kirkham took the chain private again, leveraging his family's own 9.46% stake with £150 million of family funds<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.investegate.co.uk/articlePrint.aspx?id=200409021628595632C|title=Graham Kirkham – Increased and final offer – FE InvestEgate|author=|date=|website=www.investegate.co.uk|accessdate=25 April 2019}}</ref> in an eventual £496 million deal.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040305/ai_n12766620 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115201223/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040305/ai_n12766620 | url-status=dead | archive-date=15 January 2008 | title=Outlook: Just say no to Kirkham's insulting DFS bid – Independent, The (London) – Find Articles at BNET.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE4DC163DF930A15754C0A9629C8B63 | work=The New York Times | title=World Business Briefing – Europe: Britain: DFS Accepts Founder's Bid | date=23 July 2004}}</ref> Kirkham told the ''Yorkshire Post'': ''"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."''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.donny.co.uk/Doncaster/news/index.php3?ID=465|title=Doncaster News and Features: Famous Doncastrian: Graham Kirkham, on Donny Online|author=|date=|website=www.donny.co.uk|accessdate=25 April 2019}}</ref>
On 23 April 2010, it was announced that DFS had been sold to private equity firm Advent International for a reported £500m.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8638981.stm | work=BBC News | title=DFS sold to private equity firm | date=23 April 2010}}</ref>
==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,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/|title=Welcome to the School of Politics & International Relations|first1=Head of|last1=School|last2=admin.spirsocy@anu.edu.au|date=|website=School of Politics & International Relations|accessdate=25 April 2019}}</ref> and in the 1996 New Year Honours was given a knighthood.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=54537 |date=27 September 1996 |page=12875}}</ref> John Prescott, 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 and the Animal Health Trust.<ref name=Star /> In September 1996 Kirkham told ''The Daily Telegraph'' 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=5078|title=Briefing notes: 'Paying the parties' by Martin Rosenbaum – Prospect Magazine February 1997 issue 16<!-- Bot generated title -->|author=|date=|website=prospect-magazine.co.uk|accessdate=25 April 2019}}</ref> Kirkham gave £200,000 to Prince Edward's Ardent TV company in 1994 because he had "a burning desire to succeed".<ref name=Star />
On 23 July 1999, Kirkham was made a life peer as '''Baron Kirkham''', of Old Cantley in the County of South Yorkshire.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=55565 |date=28 July 1999 |page=8127}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199899/minutes/991102/ldminute.htm|title=House of Lords – Minute|author=|date=|website=publications.parliament.uk|accessdate=25 April 2019}}</ref> He was one of the working peers recommended by then Tory leader William Hague, who had borrowed Kirkham's helicopter for electioneering.<ref name=Star />
==Charity== Kirkham has given modestly to charity, allocating grants totalling £455,000 in 1998/99.<ref>[http://www.fit4funding.org.uk/help_and_advice/regional/west_yorkshire/bradford_trusts/ The Charities Information Bureau – Fit4Funding | Regional | Bradford – Local Trusts<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217095224/http://www.fit4funding.org.uk/help_and_advice/regional/west_yorkshire/bradford_trusts/ |date=17 February 2007 }}</ref> Among his charitable donations made mainly via the Graham Kirkham Foundation,<ref>[http://www.keap.org.uk/funding_info.html Kernow Education Arts Partnership<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927235611/http://www.keap.org.uk/funding_info.html |date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> Kirkham gave £225,000 to help cancer research by Bradford University, had a gallery named after him at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley on Thames,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museophile.lsbu.ac.uk/rrm/visitors/ |title=River & Rowing Museum | Visitors |accessdate=1 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708101750/http://www.museophile.lsbu.ac.uk/rrm/visitors/ |archivedate=8 July 2007 }}</ref> and is also Deputy Patron and a member of the board of Outward Bound trustees.<ref>[http://www.outwardbound.org.uk/Trust/About/TheTrustees.htm The Trustees<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430220504/http://www.outwardbound.org.uk/Trust/About/TheTrustees.htm |date=30 April 2008 }}</ref> 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 (CVO) in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Outward Bound Trust<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=56237 |date=16 June 2001 |page=3 |supp=y}}</ref> and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63377|supp=y|page=B4|date=12 June 2021}}</ref>
==Personal life== Kirkham married Pauline Fisher in 1965. The couple have two children.<ref name=Star />
Kirkham has two houses in his native South Yorkshire, one in Cadeby Road, Sprotbrough; and Grade II*-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.<ref name=Star />
Kirkham furnishes his homes using DFS sofas, as well as old master paintings including John Constable's ''View of the Stour'' (bought for £6.7m<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museum-security.org/97/july18.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=1 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001192508/http://www.museum-security.org/97/july18.html |archivedate=1 October 2006 }}</ref>) and Thomas Gainsborough's ''Peasants Going To Market'' (bought for £3.5m). In 1997 Kirkham lent works by Édouard Manet and Orazio Gentileschi to the Getty Center in Brentwood, Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/b/british_museum/index.html?offset=60&inline=nyt-org | work=The New York Times | first=Alan | last=Riding | title=British Museum News – The New York Times}}</ref>
Kirkham has long been interested in dogs, and owns Dalmatians.<ref>{{cite web|last=Scougall|first=Bonnie|title=Driffield Show|url=http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=9d326b44-32a6-4cf3-bc65-2de677b205aa&skip=true|publisher=Dog World|accessdate=30 September 2012}}</ref> He has been a Kennel Club member since 1995 and while he owned DFS, it was the main sponsor of Crufts for its show in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sofa giant DFS takes over as Crufts' main sponsor|url=http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/News/21-dfs|publisher=Dog World|accessdate=30 September 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601002417/http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/News/21-dfs|archivedate=1 June 2014}}</ref> He is President of Driffield Agricultural Society<ref>{{cite web|title=Driffield Champ Show|url=http://www.driffieldchampionshipdogshow.co.uk/?pageid=224|accessdate=30 September 2012|archive-date=25 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725061106/http://driffieldchampionshipdogshow.co.uk/?pageid=224|url-status=dead}}</ref> and is always present on the last day of the championship dog show to make all the main presentations.
With Lord Harris of Peckham, 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=The team|url=http://www.grahamandtinafletcher.com/the-team.html|publisher=Graham & Tina Fletcher|accessdate=31 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601003139/http://www.grahamandtinafletcher.com/the-team.html|archive-date=1 June 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In April 2008, Kirkham was involved in an altercation with another motorist in an alleged road rage incident. Charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm 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.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/south_yorkshire/7792039.stm DFS boss 'was road rage victim'], BBC News, 19 December 2008</ref> Kirkham was cleared of all charges after a three-day trial.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lord Kirkham cleared of 'road rage' attack |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/3902961/Lord-Kirkham-cleared-of-road-rage-attack.html |accessdate=16 August 2013 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=22 December 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016014625/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/3902961/Lord-Kirkham-cleared-of-road-rage-attack.html |archivedate=16 October 2011 |url-status=live |location=London }}</ref>
== Awards == * 1995 – Knighthood * 1995 – Honorary Member of Emmanuel College, Cambridge * 1997 – Honorary Fellow of the Animal Health Trust * 1997 – Honorary Doctorate from Bradford University * 1999 – made a Life Peer as Baron Kirkham * 2001 – CVO * 2004 – Yorkshire Television accolade of ''"Yorkshire Man of the Year"'' * 2021 – KCVO
===Arms=== {{Infobox COA wide |image = centre|150pxcentre|200px |crest = A Dalmatian sejant Argent semy of Roundels Vert gorged with a Plain Collar attached thereto a Chain reflexed over the back and grasping in the sinister paw a Horseshoe reversed Or |coronet = A Coronet of a Baron |escutcheon = Argent on each of three Chevronnels interlaced their apexes terminating in a Trefoil Vert a Chevronel Or |supporters = On either side a Chameleon that on the dexter Vert eyed and gorged with a Plain Collar attached thereto a Chain reflexed over the back and terminating in a Ring Or and that on the sinister Or eyed and gorged with a Plain Collar attached thereto a Chain reflexed over the back and terminating in a Ring Vert |badge = A Cross Bottony surmounted by and conjoined to a Roundel Vert charged with a Roundel Argent thereon a Boar's Head caboshed Vert armed Or |motto = Per Laborem Ad Honorem }}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Graham Kirkham}} * [https://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_kirkham Lord Kirkham at TheyWorkForYou.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930030814/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld/ldreg/reg14.htm Present list of Kirkhams interests] at the House of Lords register {{s-start}} {{s-prec|uk}} {{s-bef|before=The Lord Watson of Richmond}} {{s-ttl|title=Gentlemen'''<br />''Baron Kirkham'' '''}} {{s-fol|after=The Lord Grabiner}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkham, Graham Kirkham, Baron}} Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century English businesspeople Category:British chairpersons of corporations Category:British chief executives in the manufacturing industry Category:British retail company founders Category:Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Category:Businesspeople from South Yorkshire Category:Conservative Party (UK) donors Category:English adoptees Category:English art collectors Category:English billionaires Category:English businesspeople in retailing Category:English company founders Category:English businesspeople in manufacturing Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II Category:Manufacturing company founders Category:People from Doncaster