Bohemian Life of Damien Hirst

Just because he’s known as much for his wealth as for his art work, that doesn’t mean Damien Hirst isn’t still a bohemian art heart. Along with Sir Laurence Olivier and Nick Cave and Sir Bob Geldof’s girlfriend Jeanne Marine, who all once lived on barges in Chelsea, Damien Hirst and his wife also own a boat there. Now that the moorings are coming under threat, Hirst is contributing to a group bid to buy the marina:

Margaret Allen, 54, who lives on a four-bedroom barge with her husband and three children, said: “I think we will pay according to the length of the boat, but I have heard that wealthier residents may chip in more.

“We are all behind it – we will have control over our moorings and we won’t be ripped off.”

The company has been put up for sale for £4.75million by Humberts Leisure and it is the first time the site has been openly marketed since 1935. The residents’ association is believed to have formed a separate company called Chelsea Houseboats in order to put forward its bid.

Damien Hirst’s On Board as Chelsea Barge Dwellers Bid Millions for Moorings (Evening Standard)