Star Buys: Chris Difford

The guys at Brand Vaughan in Kemp Town Village tell Latest Homes that pop penman Chris Difford has moved from his mews home in Kemp Town and is currently renting an apartment on Marine Parade so that he can remain close to Brighton College where his children are at school.

Difford came to fame as the lyric-writing lead in the band Squeeze, who had a string of hit singles back in the late 1970s and 1980s.

His most notable work was with writing partner Glenn Tilbrook and their best known songs must be ‘Tempted’, ‘Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)’, ‘Black Coffee in Bed’, ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Up The Junction’ and ‘Annie Get Your Gun’.

In 2005 Difford moved into a two bedroom mews property in Hove. Prior to that he had been tenant in a Crown Estate property with eight bedrooms and 700 acres, close to Rye in East Sussex.

When the government put those properties on the market he had the chance to buy, but with a price tag of £3,500,000 was not in a position to do so.

Difford was reported back than as having seen the end of the golden egg days when he would lavish money on Concorde flights and Maseratis.

He was also reported as having bought local artist Julie-Anne Gilburt’s studio floor to hang on his wall; they look a bit like Jackson Pollocks but with the addition of paperclips and cigarette butts...

A?local restaurateur saw them and asked Julie-Anne to do some for his fish restaurant, but when it was ram-raided by Gordon Ramsay for Kitchen Nightmares, the chef took offence at the canvasses and threw them in the sea.

The publicity did neither the restaurant or Julie-Anne any harm.

Now Difford is happily settled in Kemp Town, proving, like for so many others, that renting is currently the best option.

Recently back from an extensive USA?tour, his UK?tour starts next month, hitting Brighton in December.