Posted on 09/13/2006 12:48:37 PM PDT by weegee
The former home of Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, who died in July, has attracted huge interest from potential buyers undeterred by the reclusive singer's patchy home improvement efforts.
Dozens of people have viewed the 1930s house in Cambridge, England, which in the delicate words of the estate agent "provides an excellent opportunity for sympathetic improvement and updating."
The walls are painted a patchwork of pink, orange, brown, blue, turquoise and lavender, while cheap wooden shelves cling precariously to the walls of every room. Barrett's decorating has done little to deter people from taking a look, with 40 viewings last Saturday alone.
"He was an icon, so inevitably there's going to be a lot more interest," said Lisa Freeman-Bassett, of Cheffins, the estate agent and auctioneer handling the $562,000 sale. "He was very content in that house getting on with his life."
Some of those who visited the semi-detached, three-bedroom home were probably curious sightseers with no intention of buying, she added.
Barrett lived a solitary life at the house after dropping out of Pink Floyd in 1968 following a spell of erratic behavior linked to his use of psychedelic drugs.
He retreated from the public eye, showing no interest in his former stardom and politely refusing to speak to the fans and journalists who regularly paid visits. He passed his time painting, writing art history and gardening.
With its tidy lawns, garden shed, and blue front door, the two-story home is a far cry from the archetypal rock star mansion. His sister, Rosemary Breen, said the singer "loved the peace and quiet" of the house.
"He put his stamp on the house with frequent redecoration," she wrote in notes to accompany the sale. "He slept in all the bedrooms, deciding which one as the mood took him. The only intrusion to his peace was the occasional visits from fans. He could never understand why strangers wanted his time as the reason for his fame was always a mystery to him."
The sale details say Barrett was "passionate about, although not always competent" at home improvements. Some of the contents will go under the hammer at an auction on Nov. 29-30. The lots include paintings, two handpainted red and blue bicycles and customized furniture.
I wonder how many square metres this house is?
I want to know if there's a "Keep (The Lunatics) Off The Grass" sign in the front yard.
Four decades is a "spell"?
I'm going to see Roger Waters at MSG tonight. I hope Syd's ghost shows.
I thought I had read somewhere that he was still pretty out of it throughout. For certain he was in 1975 when the band members ran into him at Abbey Road when they were recording "Wish You Were Here."
How much are you paying to see him lip sync?
Er, 1975.
Actually, it's THIRTEEN decades, but who's counting.
By his brother Dennis, no less.
and may have also been done a lot more harm by his counselor.
I'm not so sure about the *may* part. Fortunately, he's been under the care of real doctors for about ten or fifteen years and has regained some semblance of a normal life.
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