Brian May and wife Anita Dobson quit ‘brutal’ London for good after their home was wrecked by floods

Brian May has revealed that he and Anita Dobson are quitting London for good after recent flash floods wrecked their Kensington home.

The Queen guitarist, 74, and his EastEnders legend wife, 72, have decided to pack up and leave for pastures new, as he dubbed the capital too ‘brutal’ to bear. 

Brian told how the floods were just the ‘catalyst’ for their departure, explaining how they grew to ‘hate’ living in the area and had struggled to live there for ‘such a long time.’

Leaving: Brian May has revealed that he and Anita Dobson are quitting London for good after recent flash floods wrecked their Kensington home

The couple’s Kensington property was devastated on July 12th this year, with the carpets and rugs, his childhood photo albums and Anita’s treasured keepsakes ruined by a ‘stinking sludge’ following a period of extreme heavy rainfall.

Speaking to The Mirror of their decision to leave, Brian explained: ‘The house is wrecked and it is heart-breaking. The funny thing is we actually hated living where we are for a long time.

‘We put a lot of love and care into building the house but the surroundings have been horrible for such a long time. They have been building basements now for about eight years all around and there is constant noise, traffic and dust and pollution and rudeness. London now is brutal.’

Time to go: The Queen guitarist, 74, and his EastEnders legend wife, 72, have decided to pack up and leave for pastures new, as he dubbed the capital too ‘brutal’ to bear (pictured: The damage to their Kensington home with ruined photos and keepsakes)

The musician went on to say that the flood had been a ‘catalyst’ for their exit, adding that just ‘have to leave’. 

Brian also reflected on coming back to his home on the day it was ruined, detailing how he discovered his basement floor ‘floating with black sewage’. 

He said: ‘It’s really unpleasant and we are never going to feel the same about that house again. We are not going to get it back what it was. For us it is time to quit and I am OK about that now.’

The rocker concluded that he ‘never dreamed’ that his basement would flood and ‘did not sleep’ for four days while trying to rescue to treasure possessions, photos and memorabilia from the murky water. 

Struggles: Brian told how the floods were just the ‘catalyst’ for their departure, explaining how they grew to ‘hate’ living in the area and had struggled to live there for ‘such a long time’ (pictured in 2019)

Tough: Speaking of their decision to leave, Brian explained: ‘The house is wrecked and it is heart-breaking. The funny thing is we actually hated living where we are for a long time’ (pictured in 2019)

Last month the guitarist took to Instagram to detail the disaster of the flood, which he discovered upon returning to his West London property from a day at Royal Holloway University.  

Brian documented this on social media, branding the mess ‘disgusting’ and ‘heartbreaking’.

He explained that his photo albums had been at another of his homes, which had recently been under threat of forest fires – yet they fell victim to the flooding.

Decision: It’s really unpleasant and we are never going to feel the same about that house again. We are not going to get it back what it was. For us it is time to quit and I am OK about that now’ (pictured in 2017)

The rock star told his 2.8 million followers that the flood was the fault of the council, approving poorly-designed basements to be built in the London suburb with ‘ineffective’ drainage.

He penned: ‘After a nice day at The Royal Holloway College, we came back to horror in our house.

‘The whole bottom floor had been inundated with a sewage overflow – which has covered our carpets, rugs and all kinds of precious things in a stinking sludge. 

Shock: Last month the guitarist took to Instagram to detail the disaster of the flood, which he discovered upon returning to his West London property from a day at Royal Holloway University 

Ruined: The guitarist documented this on social media, branding the mess ‘disgusting’ and ‘heartbreaking’

Memories: Several of Brian’s photos and other valuables were seen strewn over the floor

Flooding: Brian shared a snap of footprints in the sludge that covered his home

‘I had rescued all my most treasured childhood photo albums and scrapbooks from my studio house because it was threatened with a forest fire some months ago. 

‘It’s disgusting, and actually quite heartbreaking. It feels like we were have been invaded, desecrated.

‘Anita had a lifetime of memorabilia on the floor of our basement – and most of it is sodden and ruined.

Aftermath: He explained that his photo albums had been at another of his homes, which had recently been under threat of forest fires – yet they have now fallen victim to the flooding

He posted: ‘The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council was warned years ago that sinking so many deep basement extensions would obstruct the aquifers underneath our living space and render the drainage system ineffective’

Nightmare: Brian’s basement sustained a considerable amount of damage

Fury! Brian took to Instagram to rant about the matter

Claims: He claimed it was the council’s fault fir approving poorly-designed basements to be built in the London suburb with ‘ineffective’ drainage

‘Where did I put it all for safety? In the basement here in Kensington. Irony. Today it turned into a sodden mess.

‘I’m devastated – this stuff is only “things” – but it feels like Back To The Future when the photograph fades – feels like a lot of my past has been wiped out. I’m angry! 

‘Historically, for 150 years, Kensington has never flooded due to rainwater. Why did this happen? It’s almost certainly the result of all the basement building that has been plaguing this area for the past 10 years.

‘The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council was warned years ago that sinking so many deep basement extensions would obstruct the aquifers underneath our living space and render the drainage system ineffective.’

Elsewhere, property expert Kirstie Allsopp, who lives in the same area as Brian, also experienced damage and documented this on social media.

‘There’s been biblical rain in London, homes flooded & rain in places in our home its certainly never been before,’ she said of the unseasonal July weather. ‘If you’re away/at work and can get someone to check your basement/terrace/flat roof/chimney/French doors please do.

‘In some areas water is coming up through toilets,’ she tweeted.

Lost property: Brian and wife Anita [pictured in 2016] have lost much of their memorabilia to the floods

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9895319/Brian-wife-Anita-Dobson-quit-brutal-London-good-home-wrecked-floods.html