A gent who operated by routine, whisky and 40 cigarettes a day. This clubman’s knowledge of London history was phenomenal and he was dedicated to his role as parish clerk at St. Michael’s Cornhill. Gaze, a Russian icon dealer with a shop in the Piccadilly Arcade, lived a life full of dramas that included being kidnapped by a lunatic named Sacheverell de Houghton and entertaining drag queens in his set of rooms, formerly occupied by Edward Heath, in Albany, W1. Here was a bohemian character who stopped traveling after smoking was banned on aircraft and whom loved both Beethoven and The Beatles.
John Gaze was quite simply a great London gentleman, with no little amount of real humanity, deep knowledge of so many heritage and local issues, plus the most candid sense of fun / humour, even in the face of severe adversity in his final years. Greatly missed, and never forgotten!
What an amazing man and what an amazing story. He is missed