clarification of Thor Arnold's role in Freddie's life

thor, what do you think about the controversial film Cruising? Do you think the film was a false document of the gay scena?

@Thor


Aw, you're so lucky it turned out that way. I wish I could do that with my ex husband. We were once so close, it felt like we were one person. We aren't even speaking now and we hurt each other pretty bad before the divorce.

I agree with you and Freddie and Mary's relationship being like that after they split up. A friendship and a bond.

In a way, you and Brandon will be growing old together. And that's more than most get in their relationships these days. That's fantastic.

Rainbow, I keep it in the hall, so it's the first thing visitors see when they enter my home. It's in pretty good nick considering its almost 23 years old!

Villiers,

You point is well made. Defacing private property, even in tribute, is unacceptable. There are always people who go too far. Many memorials, especially grave sites of famous people, are fenced off due to souvenir seekers thinking it is okay to chip off a piece of the headstone. Maybe Mary felt like there was no happy medium at Garden Lodge. While leaving a note is harmless, carving a name into a wooden door or writing/painting a message on a wall is completely disrespectful.

Here it is, in all its glory. Apologies for the shitty quality of my camera phone.

@Beemack74

Are you by any chance familiar with a guy in the Queen collecting circles named Bas? I nearly bought his Freddie stand-up a few years ago, the very same one but his was signed by Jim. I wanted it so bad, but I was still in school and my family convinced me to keep my money for real necessities. Its a great item! Enjoy it!
Is that the life sized one or the 10 inch version? Bas had the life sized one and I was so jelly!

Villiers, no I'm not aware of Bas, the one I have unfortunately isn't signed but it is indeed the life size version. I wonder how many of these still exist?

Thor,

How beautiful that you and Brandon have a forged such a deep and powerful friendship. Yes, I bet in many ways that is what Freddie and Mary had.

I married relatively late in life, at 45, but I married my childhood sweetheart after having taken very different paths and then coming into each other's lives again. I am grateful everyday.

Oh Villiers,
I really have to disagree with you unfortunately. That home is the enduring legacy of Freddie Mercury. Why didn't
Mary sell it or let it be turned into the British version of Elvis's "Graceland". She has enough money to buy another place
that is not Freddie related and where she would not have to be "bothered" by fans whose admirations made her
rich. I have no sympathy for the real estate issues of the neighborhood. I think Freddie is way more important
than real estate. Lee has a picture of that beautiful wall when all the so called "graffiti" was admired by fans from
around the world. I am actually a little surprisedand disturbed by your comments on this matter.

Oh Rainbow...You too.

beemack74,

How lovely. I was dying to see it, but didn't want to ask you to post a picture. So glad you thought of it. That must be a real conversation starter. Do most people know who he is, or do they have to ask you?

The Presleys actually make a fortune from that place to this day. Mary could even be richer!

Sorry Thor, but it was left to Mary by Freddie for a reason. He gave it to her, so it's her right-regardless of who gave her her money. Its also not something she tried to stop entirely. Please keep in mind that she's had signs outside on the walls for years before this. Asking people to not write on the walls, but its fine to leave notes. You know I'm not a fan of hers by any stretch, but she has every right to keep them from defacing her property. And as much as I do believe in there being something after this life, I don't believe Freddie is reading the messages left there and I don't believe he would be ok with his property being covered in spray paint, knife marks and pieces of his wall being chipped away. Yes, they do that as well. She didn't have a problem with them leaving notes or flowers. Supposedly she even brought them inside Garden Lodge after a while. Why would someone need to carve into the wood of the door to leave the same message that could have just been put in a note?



It's like my grandmother's house. I adored that woman more than life itself. She raised me and made me who I am today. When she passed, and her home was sold- as much as she loved that house and as much as I associated the house with her memory, I didn't carve into the walls. I didn't leave spray paint in tribute to her on it because it wasn't our property. Its illegal and yes, it would have been considered graffiti. I left her notes there for a year after it was sold. The owners took over a year to move in, but would come and pick them up when they were there for renovations and they were very sympathetic. I still leave notes, and they smile at me through the front window when they're home.

I realize my grandmother wasn't a world famous rock musician, but hey, I didn't have a right to carve into the walls of that house and I'm sorry but neither do the fans at GL.

I think her making an effort to let fans still leave notes and flowers while simply asking them not to spray paint the walls and mark the door was more than fair to ask and doesn't mean she doesn't respect the fans that made Freddie/her money.


Trust me, there's plenty of other reasons to dislike Mary LOL.

Yes, Rainbow, most people know it's Freddie, and thankfully most comments are respectful and some admit to being fans too!
You're absolutely right Thor, Graceland still makes a fortune to this day. It's an ambition of mine to visit the Presley home one day, as well as Garden Lodge, even though the latter would just be a photo at the famous door.

And for turning GL into Graceland, Peter once said Freddie would have hated it and said he didn't want his home turned into a museum. So, I can't really blame Mary there either.

Although I do think Graceland and Prince's home are both really cool. I've been to both.