Anne Naysmith

Anne Margaret Naysmith (née Smith; 13 January 1937 – 10 February 2015)[1] was a British classical pianist who became notable later in life for sleeping rough in Chiswick, West London.[2][3]

Anne Naysmith
Born(1937-01-13)13 January 1937
Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
Died10 February 2015(2015-02-10) (aged 78)
London, England
EducationRoyal Academy of Music
OccupationClassical pianist

She was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1937. Her family moved to Hounslow, West London, when she was eight. The 'Nay' was added much later.[4]

Naysmith studied with Harold Craxton and Liza Fuchsova at the Royal Academy of Music, and gave a well received recital at Wigmore Hall in 1967, but experienced personal difficulties in the late 1960s and was evicted from her house in Prebend Gardens, Chiswick.[2] Following her eviction Naysmith slept in her car, a Ford Consul, for 26 years until 2002 when it was towed away following campaigning from neighbours to have it removed.[5][6][7] Naysmith then lived in a handmade shelter next to Stamford Brook Underground station.[2][8]

The Guardian noted parallels with Mary Shepherd, the subject of Alan Bennett's 1999 play The Lady in the Van, who had also been a classical pianist.[3]

At 01:00 on 10 February 2015 Naysmith died after being struck by a lorry on Chiswick High Road.[2][7] She was buried at Chiswick New Cemetery on 7 March 2015.[7]

References
  1. "Chiswick Bids Farewell To Anne Naysmith". Chiswickw4.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015.
  2. "Anne Naysmith, pianist - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 11 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015.
  3. Steven Morris (11 February 2015). "From concert pianist to lady in the car: the extraordinary life of Anne Naysmith". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  4. "A musician of promise and then a concert pianist. But she died a homeless recluse." The Guardian 12 February 2015 page 11
  5. Emily Cockayne (2012). Cheek by Jowl: A History of Neighbours. Random House. p. 196. ISBN 9781409027737. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  6. "Woman's car home towed away". 7 March 2002. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  7. Cumber, Robert (11 February 2015). "Tributes paid to 'rag lady of Chiswick' Anne Naysmith, killed in lorry crash". MyLondon. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  8. "Homeless concert pianist's anger over shelter's removal". BBC News. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
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