Comments on: Remembering Dennis Severs

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 21:19:59 +0000

I remember him well. I knew him because my boyfriend was bisexual and was very attracted to Dennis. But I thought he was a poseur, poncing around in that horse and carriage. You wouldn’t be able to do that now.
We went to a few of his parties. He had no electricity in the house because he wanted it to be “authentic” but I thought it was an affectation. However I was so pleased that all those houses in Spitalfields were being restored. They were within a whisker of being demolished but Dennis started the fashion of buying them to do up.
My boyfriend had Aids too and died in the same year as Dennis.

By: Joanne Cane

Joanne Cane — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 23:05:36 +0000

I’ve enjoyed reading all of this and felt completely transported. As if I was sitting in room with everyone listening and just living amongst it all. I found my way here by way a favourite London blogger, History lover and London tour guide. I love his weekly blog email I receive but sadly have not been able to go on one of his walking tours. My email from his this week was all about Dennis and his incredible house with rare photographs that he’d been given permission to take. I’ve falling in love with the house from afar. What a wonderful and interesting man Dennis was. I’ve feel honoured to have met a little bit of him through all of these memories and your accounts of him. Thank you to you all. Also thank you to Jack from Living London History for leading me here and sharing his tour of Dennis’ beautiful house.

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 02:37:53 +0000

“…the place was completely ‘Sodom & Gomorrah,’ full of people and machines…”

Machines?!

They never occurred to me. Machines?

I knew the Grinling Gibbons swags had to real walnuts, and I knew something about the Baroque fireplace and how it was made, but I never knew he made paneling from old skids.

Thank you for another fascinating journey. Anything about this house and its master is always welcomed here.

By: Dave Phillips

Dave Phillips — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 05:06:08 +0000

I am only able to hope that one day I might visit.

By: Phil Maxwell

Phil Maxwell — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 21:21:03 +0000

Superb article and photographs! So pleased you’ve brilliantly captured such an important part of LGBTQ history in Spitalfields! For me all these characters were on the ‘other side of the tracks’ so it was a fascinating read. However I must observe there was a lot more going on over the road, on Brick Lane, and on the Holland and Chicksand Estates! Not sure if Dennis ever explored the other side of the tracks. If he had he might have been impressed ….

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 07:29:22 +0000

A fascinating insight, but a sad one too

By: Milo

Milo — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 10:21:19 +0000

I always managed to end up consorting with some of the most eccentric people you could wish to meet in London; it was a knack i had as a young man and i thrived on it. One minute i’d be minding my own business and the next i’d be swept up by some character out of Dickens and end up in the most odd situations.

Reading about Mr Severs and his friends and the parties makes me wish i’d met him but it was not to be alas.

I fervently hope there’s at least the odd one or two of these personalities still left in these dour, straitened times and that i get to bump into them before the world becomes completely bland.

By: Paul Bommer

Paul Bommer — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 08:34:06 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful, honest and heart wrenching accounts of a great but very human man. Truly moving. And so important to remember people and a time that so many still sweep under the carpet.

By: achim

achim — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 07:43:13 +0000

Dennis Severs was truly a person to have met. The typical London eccentric, as you know him from stories. His house is a fantastic reminder!

Love & Peace
ACHIM