Roger Barrett's Home Attracts Lots of Interest
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onezebra12
Sep 13, 2006, 9:51:55 AM9/13/06
to cyberpink
2006-09-13,07:51:10
September 12, 2006
Pink Floyd Founder's House Attracts Big Interest
By REUTERS - Filed at 7:25 a.m. ET
LONDON (Reuters) - 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, 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 300,000-pound ($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 in the
eastern English city of Cambridge 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 after 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 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-storey 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 November
29-30. The lots include paintings, two handpainted red and blue bicycles and
customized furniture.
The singer wrote the hit singles ``Arnold Layne'' and ``See Emily Play,''
along with most of the songs on the first album ''Piper At The Gates Of
Dawn.''
He left the band before their success with the albums ``Dark Side of the
Moon,'' ``The Wall'' and ``Wish You Were Here.''
September 12, 2006
Pink Floyd Founder's House Attracts Big Interest
By REUTERS - Filed at 7:25 a.m. ET
LONDON (Reuters) - 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, 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 300,000-pound ($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 in the
eastern English city of Cambridge 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 after 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 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-storey 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 November
29-30. The lots include paintings, two handpainted red and blue bicycles and
customized furniture.
The singer wrote the hit singles ``Arnold Layne'' and ``See Emily Play,''
along with most of the songs on the first album ''Piper At The Gates Of
Dawn.''
He left the band before their success with the albums ``Dark Side of the
Moon,'' ``The Wall'' and ``Wish You Were Here.''
onezebra12
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