From a room in Chelsea, 1972

After that Roman balcony, below, how about a view from Chelsea back in that wonderful year 1972, when I was in my mid-twenties and sharing a large apartment with my best friend Stan and two girls (Sally, who later married Stan) and an Australian girl. It was right in the middle of Chelsea, in Draycott Place, just behind Peter Jones, and near Sloane Square, near that restaurant used in BLOW-UP and just off the Kings Road (in London of course), and also near the Chelsea Drugstore and all the boutiques. We would pop over to Biba's in Kensington and other superstores.

Its amusing I suppose to look back at one's younger self, 42 years ago; what could one say to that younger me, before I went off to have three ten-year long term relationships (the third one is still going): 

There's that poster of THE MISFITS on the wall (its folded away now), and one of those ugly brown box televisions, Andy Warhol's Interview is on the floor, and an unpacked crate of books ... and that long hair! 

It was a perfect time (somehow we managed without internet, videos or dvds or cellphones and just 3 tv channels - but we did have gatefold vinyl albums), that year I met Joni Mitchell in Kings Road and had a pleasant conversation with her as we walked along, also meeting the young Elton John several times, at a record shop he frequented on Saturdays, and also once chatting to him at Harrods, in his pink suit, with his manager/partner John Reid. Also that summer we saw Bette Davis and Olivia De Havilland at the BFI, among other treats. 

The following year our adventures continued as I moved down to Clapham and became a South London boy again. 

I was back in Draycott Place again last year, those big houses have been renovated now and would all cost about £2 million or so each - its a millionaire's street now!