Sir-plus

An auction of 26 manorial titles in London netted nearly 400,000 pounds (US$663,000). “I inherited them, but they haven’t any particular significance for me,” an unidentified lord at the sale said, noting he had several to spare. Another seller noted such sales aren’t new. “These things have always been bought and sold, dating back as far as William the Conqueror and the Doomsday Book in 1086.” The new Lord of Chuderleigh thinks his title, purchased for a bargain 7,500 pounds, could have a practical benefit. “It might well help us to get a dinner reservation somewhere,” he said. (Reuters) ...Typical: just hungry for power.