I have only just heard, very belatedly, of the death of Gavin Stamp on December 30th. He was my supervisor for a course on Victorian architecture in autumn 1975 (or it could have been Spring 1976) when I now realise he was only 27, studying for his Ph.D on George Gilbert Scott, junior. But he always seemed at least a generation older, already a veteran of the Victorian Society and physically slightly larger than life. I saw him only rarely since, but continued to admire him from a distance and lived in hope of his long awaited alternative history of twentieth-century British architecture. He came and gave a paper on Hawksmoor at a symposium I organised in the 1980s at St. Anne’s, Limehouse. He walked in to our kitchen and said ‘I’m not surprised you’re repainting this. It’s a horrible colour’. Romilly was in the process of painting it Moroccan Turquoise. He taught Otto as well at Cambridge, a mere thirty years or so after he had taught me.
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
Gavin Stamp’s review of Lord Rogers’ latest book in the current Prospect is a delight. One quote: “Rogers describes his Chelsea home without a trace of embarrassment….”
Thank you, Charles. I hadn’t seen that he had died, or read any obituaries.
Gavin was a remarkable man to whom I was very grateful – he reviewed my Museums and Galleries book, generously, and my book with Richard Rogers. His architectural knowledge was very considerable and he contributed to Colin McWilliam’s excellent Pevsner on EDINBURGH.
I didn’t know he had contributed to Edinburgh, presumably on its Victorian buildings. Charles
Yes, I should have mentioned Piloti. Charles
Colin McW was Gavin’s Mentor.
How come ? Charles