More fuel to the debate about who the greatest Brit was, in the form of a desk built by Viscount Linley in honour of Brunel:

The Queen's nephew, Viscount Linley, believes that Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the greatest Briton and has backed his view by producing a unique desk commemorating the achievements of the 19th-century engineer.

The Brunel Desk, an intricate piece of workmanship which has taken designers and craftsmen more than eight months to create, went on sale for £95,000 at Lord Linley's shop in London last week.

Among Brunel's projects which have been incorporated into the design are the Thames Tunnel, SS Great Britain and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

The desk was conceived after Lord Linley, son of the Earl of Snowdon and the late Princess Margaret, nominated Brunel as his choice in last year's BBC poll to find the greatest Briton.

"I have always been interested in the amalgamation of engineering and craftsmanship which I think he showed," said Lord Linley, who trained as a cabinet maker and now has a shop in Pimlico Road.

"Workmanship", "designers", "craftsmanship" – good to see these words being given a bit of exercise. It would seem that someone still knows how to make furniture in these islands.

Linley's shop is only a walk away from where I live, but this thing is still way out of my range.