About twenty years ago in the morning the front door bell rang. At the time I was living in a Brunswick Road, a barrel fronted Regency terrace just off the sea front in Hove. It was a blustery day and as I opened the door I was confronted by a slightly scruffy individual, wearing...
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Briefly, I was married in 1940 to my schoolgirl sweetheart who was then killed by so-called Friendly Fire on 21st December 1943, leading RAF Squadron 609 escorting American Bombers over Northern France. In 1947 I married an old family friend whose wife had walked out leaving him with three attractive children; a girl of...
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The phone rang on Sunday at its usual Watkin time, around 10.00am. Retreating to the study I arranged myself at the desk for a serious gossip. “Can you come over, dear?” It was ominous. He didn’t start with “My Dear Chris, How are you?…” Some affair of the heart needing my wise counsel? An...
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Auction of the Contents of 6 Sussex Mews It came to our attention that the contents of David’s home were being auctioned at Gorringes Auction House, Lewes, East Sussex on 2nd & 3rd September 2009. The Gorringes website will offer further details. Much of his furniture and many paintings were listed. Apparently some of...
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Iain was perhaps David’s greatest love, and certainly his most significant relationship – they were together from the 1950′s until 1974, when Iain died tragically aged 39. This painting was a favourite of their’s – they’d bought it in Italy together, alert to the fact that it held an uncanny likeness to a young...
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David Watkin’s house is now sold, his Library and personal papers dispersed, and stocks of both volumes of autobiography destroyed.
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“The letters are, for me, like treasures…”
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Holiday in Positano Glyndebourne August 6th 2006 Scott and Jozef’s Civil Partnership. The reception was held in the Mews.
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1997 was a difficult and stressful year. The “Gays in the military” campaign was in full swing and I was under intense media scrutiny. My neighbour had just called to let me know that, once again, journalists had been looking in my rubbish bins. That morning I also found a live 9mm round on...
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When the boys first met David they were really quite little. They’d been thrilled by the chocolate cake, the painting with the ‘changing-faces’, the piano, the fountain on/off switch, the precariously tall library steps, the phenomenal use of the word ‘fuck’ and the even more delicious ‘cunt’. And they told him as much. Then...
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Keen to share his love of opera… David treated many of his chums to a trip to Glyndebourne…
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David had a fondness for using the colour green…
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This website has been initiated as a response to the hundreds of friends of David Watkin from all over the world who wished to contribute to an archive of memories of this remarkable man. The editors are the designer Rachael Adams and the historian Chris Mullen who were in contact with him in Brighton...
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David’s ancestors built The Watkin Path – one of the principal access routes up to the summit of Snowdon. The Watkin Path has the greatest change in altitude out of all the paths up Snowdon. Starting at 60 metres (200 ft) above sea level at the Nantgwynant car park (SH628506) south of Snowdon, and...
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David loved being at home in Brighton… His beloved dog, Longuiter – waiting on the landing. The Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award (Golden Frog) can be seen on the coffee table!
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Spode Robert’s ‘Morning Kick’ tea. Smoked Salmon, a quarter of lemon and a slice of wholemeal bread – eaten at the glass topped table or out in the courtyard… Sweet white dessert wine. Summer Pudding, weighted down by a stone cannon ball. A stack of crumpets beside the fire… Little Scarlett jam. Roast Beef...
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David Watkin died at the age of 82 in his mews house in Brighton at 10.15pm on the 19th of February, 2008 This must come as a shock to those of you who did not know of the severity of his illness, or were unaware of the speed of his decline in health. Those...
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