Queen guitarist Brian May and EastEnders actress Anita Dobson moved to a £25m Surrey countryside estate after their £7m London home was flooded with sewage in 2021
Anita Dobson, wife of legendary Queen guitarist Brian May, revealed a little secret about their domestic life after they traded the hustle and bustle of London for the tranquillity of the countryside. The couple had to abandon their £7m London residence after it was severely damaged by flooding.
They have since relocated to a staggering £25m home nestled in the Surrey countryside. The property is situated within a 200-acre estate in the heart of Windlesham.
Anita, 76, has previously confessed that her husband, now 78, has “never been happier” since their move to the rural setting. Their current abode, originally constructed in the 1920s, stands on the site of a 16th-century farmhouse which was torn down to make way for the Regency-style dwelling they now call home.
The pair’s previous home was inundated with sewage in 2021, an incident that reportedly left them heartbroken as it ruined Brian’s cherished memorabilia.
Anita characterised her husband as a “big collector” with a particular fondness for Star Wars items. However, she noted that his enthusiasm for collectables has “eased off” as he has aged, reports the Express.
Despite this, Anita concedes that their home still frequently becomes “jammed with stuff”, even when they attempt to declutter. This means the couple are not in any hurry to downsize their property.
In a chat with Richard Eden of the Daily Mail, she quipped: “We are two of the world’s greatest collectors of clutter in the universe”.
“We have big rooms and even after they’re cleaned, after a week or two, they are jammed with stuff. People buy us stuff, which is lovely, and we don’t give them away, so we just keep them all. So we can’t downsize – not yet, anyway”.
Anita has previously shared that Brian “fell in love” with their new environment before he even laid eyes on the property. She says he was particularly smitten with “the trees, the flowers, the grass, the lake”.
“How could I take him away from that?” she pondered during an interview with The Sunday Telegraph. However, trading London for the countryside came with a poignant realisation.
Anita, 76, confessed: “I remember thinking, ‘I’m buying my own retirement home,’ because it’s quiet. I do miss London. I miss the lights, the noise, even the dirt – I was born in that dirt. But I know what I’m facing ahead of me.”
The television personality also disclosed that Brian often ends up purchasing one item for his grandchildren to enjoy and another for his collection. She revealed: “He’s a big collector. He buys a packaged one and one that he can have for the grandkids.
“He’s bought quite a lot. It’s eased off a bit, as he’s gone through life. His favourite is the little green guy, he loves Yoda.”
Anita let slip that Brian also takes pleasure in collecting dinosaurs and figures of prehistoric creatures “like most kids do”. She admits she has attempted to declutter some of their belongings but grapples with her own hoarding tendencies.
Source: Mirror
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