The plain, unloved daughter of a local grandee, she is rescued from the contempt and neglect of her family by her Delphic role.

When offices were sold to local grandees, central control gave way to corruption and incompetence.

That and the shortage of water should help to keep it from turning into another Phoenix, but some of the local grandees are already muttering about the Aspenization of their beloved city.

Tung's belief that Hong Kong must be "de-politicized" is precisely what the old colonial order was about: a "territory" without politics, ruled from afar, but managed by local grandees.

He favours self-government for the island, but is opposed by an old-Etonian local grandee, Hali Alani.

After 20 months and half a million dollars of cosmetic labor, the "pasteboard palace," as local grandees dubbed it, will greet Hartford society again.

Much of the initial capital was probably raised by local grandees like the Duke of Somerset at Petworth from the profits of estate management.

The local grandees in their columned mansions had to suffer it.

Public building projects became fewer, more often repairs than new construction, and now provided at state expense rather than by local grandees wishing to consolidate long-term local influence.

He owns a fabulously luxurious £3m villa over-looking the sea, was chauffeur-driven in a top of the range BMW and was feted and fawned upon as a local grandee.