George's Garden

We were at a family birthday party in Highgate. After lunch I walked up hill with Mike and Jay (and, Jeez, is that a hill!) into the village to view the George Michael memorial garden- which occupies a green space- about the size of a regular suburban back yard- across from what used to be George's house. It was full of people- including some with brooms who were keeping it tidy- and there are tributes all round the fence and hanging from trees. I've never seen the like, at least not on such a scale.

The first picture has George's house in the background. Lots of famous people lived and live round here. Someone mentioned Jude Law. Someone else said Kate Moss or was it Kate Bush. Just down the road from George's house is one with two plaques on it- one for Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the other for J.B. Priestley.

London Prices

I believe my grandparents may once have lived in Highgate. If not they lived nearby. My father certainly attended Highgate School; we have the sports trophies to prove it.

My grandparents were fairly well-to-do but they couldn't afford to live there now.

Our family party was held in a house belonging to the Methodist church which was probably purchased new because no church would be able to justify buying it today- even if it had the money. An identical house across the road is on the market for £2.3 million. And what do you get for that- a mansion? No, just a decent but unexceptional mock-Tudor detached house- on a narrow plot- with a small garden at the back- the sort of house that went up in its hundreds of thousands in the years between the wars, a starter home for a city clerk. There's no garage so you have to park your Merc on the street.

London prices are mad.