Yet more indications that the very top of the Economic pile is pretty unnafected - Warhol sells for £10m at Christies.

There is no question that economically speaking we are in difficult times, reiterating the causes for such difficulties would be unnecesary, buy suffice to say, at least 80% of the population in developed countries around the world, is sensitive to the -not quite depression- but slump, that we are all currently experiencing.

It affects us all in different ways, for some of us it mean not being able to buy the car we want at this particular point in time, for some a gadget or toy has to be waited for, in certain cases not being able to buy another round in the pub, and in the most extreme cases an individual may be presented with the inability to even pay for food or rent.

However, at the very top end of the financial scale, we see that pretty much nothing has changed, several recent stories about that ultimate of luxury purchases - art - has indicated that spending has certainy picked up pace, and perhaps even never slowed down, and this story about the latest 'big' sale at Christies sale rooms further proves that.

The piece created by Warhol when he was at his most famous in 1967 is one of a series of 11 large scale portraits in red and white silkscreen which he showed that year at the Montreal expo.  the pre sale estimates when it went on display in late January were £3 to £5m, estimates which were completely smashed when an anonymous bidder bought the piece for (including buyers premium) £10,793,250.