Freddie Mercury’s first Kensington home

Here I am outside Freddie Mercury’s flat where he moved to in the seventies. He moved out of the family home in Feltham in West London and acquired independence for the first time. He’d already met two of Queen’s band members and was highly social and gregarious so I’m sure he wasn’t lacking visitors.

He lived here before money from handsome royalties and live concerts rolled in. It’s no squalid whole-in-the-corner affair, an apartment in an immaculate row in an immaculate terrace. Strict rules must prevent owners adding a purple window boxes or leopard-print bin-covers. The flats are so similar that if you’re staggering home drunk you could easily enter the wrong gate. Though London’s sales and rental prices are bonkers nowadays (flats on this row are about £1.3 million) it was probably fairly expensive in Freddie’s day too. He always remained in this area of London and ended his days at Garden Lodge which is nearby.

The flat is about half way up on the right…

…and on the left in this one…

A photo taken inside Stafford Terrace. Freddie with the illustrator Nicola Bayley. Freddie and Mary were hosting a dinner party and Nicola was one of the guests.