Anne Naysmith

Anne Margaret Naysmith (née Smith; 13 January 1937 – 10 February 2015)^[1] was a British classical pianist who became notable later in life for sleeping rough in Chiswick, West London.^[2][3]

Anne Naysmith
Born	(1937-01-13)13 January 1937 Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
Died	10 February 2015(2015-02-10) (aged 78) London, England
Education	Royal Academy of Music
Occupation	Classical pianist

She was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1937. Her family moved to Hounslow, West London, when she was eight. The 'Nay' was added much later.^[4]

Naysmith studied with Harold Craxton and Líza Fuchsová at the Royal Academy of Music, and gave a well received recital at Wigmore Hall in 1967, but experienced personal difficulties in the late 1960s and was evicted from her house in Prebend Gardens, Chiswick.^[2] Following her eviction Naysmith slept in her car, a Ford Consul, for 26 years until 2002 when it was towed away following campaigning from neighbours to have it removed.^[5][6][7] Naysmith then lived in a handmade shelter next to Stamford Brook Underground station.^[2][8]

The Guardian noted parallels with Mary Shepherd, the subject of Alan Bennett's 1999 play The Lady in the Van, who had also been a classical pianist.^[3]

At 01:00 on 10 February 2015 Naysmith died after being struck by a lorry on Chiswick High Road.^[2][7] She was buried at Chiswick New Cemetery on 7 March 2015.^[7]