article-2704979-00058E9A00000258-458_634x423

The unveiling of the blue plaque at 23 Brook Street in 1997 with The Jimi Hendrix Experience bass player Noel Redding, Kathy and Pete Townshend of The Who.

In the late 1990s Kathy successfully campaigned to have Jimi recognised alongside Handel as an equal with his own blue plaque, and the Handel House Museum’s opening in 2001 was the first step to bringing the musical heritage of the building back to life. As the Hendrix Flat was beginning to take shape, Kathy made sure that their old bedroom was restored to its former glory. The photos taken from the time were a good start, but they were largely black and white; as we all know, Jimi would not have lived in a room without vibrancy and colour, and Kathy was on hand to get it just right. The room is the same as it was; the architecture outside the window, the wooden beams in the room and the décor that hangs. Kathy says it is akin to time travel when you step into their old room, and it really does feel like something frozen in time. It took 15 years for the concept, support and funding to come together, but I think we can all agree that it was well worth the wait.