The architect Richard Norman Shaw built the house in the Queen Ann style during Queen Victoria's reign for the artist Sir Luke Fildes, and Edward V11 had his portrait painted by Fildes in this room, which was originally Fildes's studio. The king commented that he considered the room one of the finest in London - I certainly agree, it's an absolute stunner.
The house is Michael's childhood home, he moved in with his parents shortly after the war in 1946. Then the house was leased out as two separate flats and the basement was damp and mouldy. It is now a home cinema, as below.
Determined to keep the property after his parents moved out in 1972, Michael bought it for £150,000 and started to buy out the tenants.
Originally, he planned to leave it to Kensington and Chelsea council, but it is leasehold and I understand the council wanted him to purchase the freehold, which would cost £15 million.
If he sells the property at the asking price, he will pay something in the region of £28 million in tax. Below are a couple of views of the exterior of Woodland House.
At 75, and about to marry for the first time, Michael and Geraldine are looking for a simpler life style, and Geraldine finds the property 'a bit forbidding.' An apartment, they think. A penthouse with great views, and a terrace with flowers, perhaps.
Much will have to go from the great house, some nice pieces of jade have already been auctioned off at Sotheby for £460,000, and there will be a bigger Christie sale shortly. Meanwhile, several Old Masters have already been sold.
And a much loved neighbour will be left behind, Jimmy Page, the heart and soul of the greatest rock band ever, Led Zeppelin. Once a truly demonic, or more accurately, daemonic character, who really set the bench mark for bad behaviour and who now, Michael says, is teetotal and all that, and just bobs up and down the road with his shopping, quiet as a mouse. Jimmy, you always had style, and you've still got it, style and class.
So, all moves are a type of rite-of-passage, and a little sad, however much we look forward to the next place, the next stage in the journey, and after all, Michael will be leaving behind a house full of astonishing memories of some of the greatest people in show business, who partied and loved and laughed in that big old place.
But Michael's a big character and though the new place may be smaller, he will be just as big, with that great big heart of his, so I wish him bon voyage, happy landings, safe journey to the new home - and much happiness in his new lifestyle as a solid married man, at last.
Cass
(thanks to Daily Mail and particularly to Murray Sanders, for that beautiful photo of a beautiful room).
