Tag Archives: Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury’s London Home Offered For Sale

One of the greatest rock frontmen of all time, Queen’s Freddie Mercury was famous for his theatrical style and four octave vocal range.

Born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar, he fled to England with his family in the wake of the Zanzibar Revolution, in which many Arabs and South Asians were massacred. Settling near London, he studied graphic art and design (which he would later use to design Queen’s logo) and sold second-hand clothes with future Queen drummer Roger Taylor at the Kensington Market.

Garden Lodge- Trees in bloom

He fronted a series of bands, but his career really took off in 1973, when he joined with Taylor, guitarist Brian May, and bassist John Deacon to produce Queen’s first self-titled album. He would perform over 700 shows with the band, thrilling sold-out stadiums with his unique style and strong connection to his audience. He died of AIDS in 1991, but his music lives on, with Queen’s Greatest Hits the best-selling album of all time in the UK, and two of his songs “We Are The Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” voted best songs of all time in major polls, and his induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

Mercury left his Kensington home to his former partner and longtime friend Mary Austin.

Garden Lodge- Dining Room.

Though he would pursue romantic relationships with men, he considered Mary the love of his life and common-law wife. Garden Lodge is a stunning Neo-Georgian mansion which served as Mercury’s “country house in London”, a sanctuary from his high-intensity life on tour. Meticulously preserved for thirty years by Austin, this time capsule of music history is offered for sale for the first time since Mercury’s purchase in 1980, accepting offers in excess of £30m ($38m usd/ $51.7m cad). 

Freddie’s grand piano which once lived at Garden Lodge sold via Sotheby’s Auction for $2.2m USD/ $2.96m CAD.

Garden Lodge’s centerpiece is a two-story drawing room, which once housed the grand piano on which Mercury composed his signature hit, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” French doors lead from the Japanese sitting room to the beautiful gardens. Every room of the house is infused with Mercury’s vibrant personality, with design choices made personally by the artist, including citrus-toned yellow walls in the intimate dining room, and floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the lavish dressing room that once housed his extensive collection of stage costumes. Surrounded by stone walls, the chance to own this unique cultural landmark is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Garden Lodge- A view from the hall looking towards the famous ‘Green Door’.

According to Austin, “This house has been the most glorious memory box, because it has such love and warmth in every room. Ever since Freddie and I stepped through the fabled green door, it has been a place of peace, a true artist’s house, and now is the time to entrust that sense of peace to the next person.”

Freddie- at home in Garden Lodge and in bed eating a meal that needed a peppermill close by.

Kensington is an upscale London neighborhood known for its stately Victorian homes. Nearby options for entertainment include the Natural History Museum, the Design Museum, Kensington Palace, and Kensington Gardens. The chic boutiques on Kensington High Street and star-studded concerts at Royal Albert Hall are both within walking distance. Popular with celebrities, the neighborhood’s notable residents include Eric Clapton, Stella McCartney, Rowan Atkinson, and Dido. For the Silo, Bob Walsh/toptenrealestatedeals

The listing is held by Knight Frank. Photos of Garden Lodge courtesy Knight Frank.

Unlike Quebec and United States, Ontario has no transportation budget $ for cycling infrastructure

Still from the classic Queen song- Bicycle Race

Toronto – GPO leader Mike Schreiner is calling on the McGuinty
governmentto dedicate1% of the transportation infrastructure budget
to cycling and another 1% for pedestrians. Sustainable infrastructure
is a sound investment that will help people choose healthy
transportation options.

[The song  featured is by Mercury and was supposedly inspired by his observing a leg of Tour de France. It starts with a chorus unaccompanied by instruments. The chorus is followed by two verses connected with a bridge, both followed by a chorus. Around the middle of the song there is a solo played with numerous bicycle bells. During the live performances, it was often played by the audience who specially brought the bells for this purpose. The song has a very unusual chord progression with numerous modulations, a change of meter (from 4/4 to 3/4) in the bridge, and the multitracked vocal and guitar harmonies.

The video for the song became scandalously famous for featuring 65 naked women, all professional models, racing at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. It was filmed by Dennis de Vallance. The group rented the stadium and several dozen bikes for one day for filming the scene; however, when the renting company became aware of the way their bikes were used, they requested the group to purchase all the bicycle seats. The original video uses special effects to hide the nudity.

“Bicycle Race “é um single da banda de rock inglesa QUEEN. Foi lançado em 1978, no álbum JAZZ e escrito pelo vocalista da Queen FREDDIE MERCURY. Ela foi lançada como um duplo lado-A única juntamente com a canção” Fat Bottomed Girls “. A canção é notável por seu vídeo com uma corrida de bicicleta com mulheres nuas em Wimbledon Stadium, que foi editado ou mesmo proibido em vários países. A canção tem uma progressão de acordes muito incomum com modulações diversas, uma mudança de metro (de 4 / 4-6 / 8) na ponte, e os vocais multipista e harmonias de guitarra.

A canção foi escrita por MERCURY e foi supostamente inspirado por sua observação de uma perna do Tour de France. Ela começa com um coro acompanhados por instrumentos. O coro é seguido por dois versos conectado com uma ponte, ambos seguido por um coro. Ao meio da música há um solo com sinos de bicicleta numerosos. Durante as apresentações ao vivo, muitas vezes era tocado pelo público, que levavam os sinos especialmente para esta finalidade.

O vídeo para a canção tornou-se famoso por escandalosamente com 65 mulheres nuas, todas as modelos profissionais, competindo em Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. Foi filmado por Dennis de Vallance. O grupo alugou o estádio e várias dezenas de bicicletas durante um dia para filmar a cena,. Porém, quando a empresa que alugou tomou conhecimento da forma como as suas bicicletas foram usados​​, eles pediram ao grupo para adquirir todos os assentos das bicicletas, o vídeo original usa efeitos especiais para esconder a nudez.  Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/user/lcsRamone CP ]

 


“If Premier McGuinty can find $1 billion dollars to build his
‘people’s highway,’ why can’t he find a few million dollars to make
streets safe for people?” asks Schreiner.

Today marks the launch of Bike Month in the City of Toronto. Cycling
plays an important role in the health of our citizens, strengthening
our local economies and our general quality of life.

Quebec spends $200 million on cycling infrastructure and earns $135
million each year from bicycle tourism alone. The US dedicates 1.6% of
its transportation budget for states to invest in cycling
infrastructure. Ontario has no dedicated funding to support cycling or
pedestrian infrastructure.

“Ontario needs infrastructure if we are serious about making our
streets and roads safe,” says Schreiner. “A small investment to
support cycling will reap big rewards — combating gridlock, reducing
health care costs and supporting local businesses.”

Two Danish studies showed that when 1% of car drivers switched to
riding bicycles, health care costs were reduced by 1%. Copenhagen
saves $300 per person per year on health costs because almost 80
percent of its population bikes regularly. Cycling and walking
projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just
seven jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects. These and
other studies show that Ontario cannot afford not to invest in cycling
infrastructure.

The GPO’s 1% percent solution would create two funds for
municipalities to access the dollars they need for cycling and
pedestrian infrastructure. By doing so, Ontario would finally
recognize that cycling and walking are important forms of
transportation for growing numbers of Ontarians.

“We need a Complete Streets Act in Ontario to ensure that our streets
are safe for all users: cars, trucks, bikes, pedestrians, wheeled
mobility devices, and transit users” says Trinity-Spadina candidate
and GPO critic for transportation Tim Grant.

Jaymini Bhikha
(O) 416-977-7476
(C) 416-275-8573 [1]
jbhikha@gpo.ca

For the Silo by Green Party of Ontario
PO Box 1132
Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8
Canada