I know where he lives

The home of the late Syd Barrett is on the market in Cambridge, while Factory Records founder Tony Wilson is selling his post-industrial flat in Manchester.

“I know where he lives and I visit him,” sang the UK post-punk band Television Personalities on their song I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives. ”In a little hut in Cambridge / I know where he lives / ’Cause I know where Syd Barrett lives.”

When Syd Barrett passed away in July, he had been out of the spotlight for decades, but his legend never lost its luster with legions of Pink Floyd fans—he was a founding member of the group and appears on their debut LP Piper at the Gates of Dawn, as well as his two solo LPs, Barrett and The Madcap Laughs. The Television Personalities’ song just confirmed the desires of Barrett’s fans the world over—they just wanted to learn more about the man.

The Cambridge house where Barrett lived from 1981 to 2006 is currently for sale. The write-up of the house by Barrett’s sister provided all manner of detail for fans and house hunters alike on the estate agent’s website.

“He put his stamp on the house with frequent redecoration, building his own furniture, changing doors etc,” she writes. “In the front room, he did his drawing and painting and wrote at length about art history. In the back room, he relaxed and enjoyed listening to jazz. Upstairs, he slept in all the bedrooms deciding which one as the mood took him. He had plans to use the loft as an art studio, but never quite got round to it.”

If the 60s weren’t your decade, Factory Records owner and Granda TV presenter Tony Wilson recently put his Manchester loft on the block. The man responsible for putting out records by Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, New Order and the Happy Mondays had designer Ben Kelly, who also created the interior of Factory’s infamous Manchester club The Haçienda, turn the top floor of an old industrial building into a penthouse with all mod cons. According to Kelly’s website, the design kept many of the buildings original features, mixing these industrial elements with modern living accoutrements.

Wilson’s post-industrial apartment is listed at just under £1 million, while agents are asking £300,000 for Barrett’s house in Cambridge.