内容摘要：Mr Spooner's wife Sue, 68, who is also part of the management team, said: "Last week was a unique situation for us in that we didn't have any volunteers to open the museum to the public in the role we call 'front of house', where they meet and greet visitors.

Mr Spooner's wife Sue, 68, who is also part of the management team, said: "Last week was a unique situation for us in that we didn't have any volunteers to open the museum to the public in the role we call 'front of house', where they meet and greet visitors.

The works remained in the artist's collection until her death in 1989 in the US, after which it was passed down through her family.She was introduced to Gandhi through her partner and British political journalist, Henry Noel Brailsford, who was a strong supporter of India's independence movement.

In November 1931, Leighton showcased her portraits of Gandhi at an exhibition at the Albany Galleries in London.Though Gandhi did not attend the opening event, several representatives from the Indian delegation of the second Round Table were present.Among them was Sarojini Naidu, also an eminent Indian independence leader, who was one of the key advisors to Gandhi at the meeting.

The exhibition included a charcoal sketch of Gandhi, asleep in his office, along with the oil portrait that is now set to be auctioned.About the painting of Gandhi, British Journalist Winifred Holtby wrote: "The little man squats bare-headed, in his blanket, one finger raised, as it often is to emphasise a point, his mouth

parted for a word that is almost a smile".

The following month, Gandhi's personal secretary Mahadev Desai wrote to Leighton, saying, "many of my friends who saw it [the oil portrait] in the Albany Gallery said to me that it was a good likeness".Ms Curtis said the feedback on her work "has been overwhelmingly positive".

"I love that the design features local houses, the church and wildlife from the meadow and river - it makes it feel really personal."When Shamili left her home in India's Bengaluru city on Wednesday, it wasn't to see her favourite cricket team - she isn't even a fan of the game.

But the buzz around the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB's) Indian Premier League victory parade - the home teamfor the first time - had swept through the city like wildfire.