Roger Waters and Nick Mason unveil plaque honouring Pink Floyd at site of Polytechnic where they met.
Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and Nick Mason today unveiled a plaque honouring the band at the site of the former Regent Street Polytechnic where they met in the sixties.
The pair, together with Richard Wright, formed the group while studying architecture at the university, now the University of Westminster, between 1962 and 1965, before going on to be one of the most successful British rock bands of all time.
Revealing the plaque, the duo reminisced about their time at the university and how important it had been to their music career.
Waters, 71, said: “We are hugely gratified to be here and to have the plaque. It’s an honour.”
Mason, 71, added: “Living as a student was a fantastic way to live. Although I’d like to see more government grants introduced. I spent my grant on curry, I think, mainly. But sensible people need the money in order to further their education and study.”
Rogers added: “I spent mine on bass guitars. I used to be freezing in my dorms.”
The pair paid tribute to the late Wright, adding he was a “hugely important” part of the band and shaped their time at university.
Juliette Gale, the first wife of Wright, was also at the event. She said: “I was at the Poly too and it’s lovely to be back. Quite nostalgic actually as it seems like a long time ago Having a plaque is a lovely thing and it’s nice that Richard can be remembered by it.”
The plaque is the second to be unveiled as part of the Regent Street Heritage Plaque scheme. Previously, a plaque honouring David Bowie’s alter ego Ziggy Stardust was installed in 2012 on Heddon Street - the location used in the artwork for 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.
David Shaw, Head of the Regent Street Portfolio at The Crown Estate, said: “The history of Regent Street is full of great pioneering events in the cultural history of the area. The forming of Pink Floyd here at the Regent Street Polytechnic is one of the most important moments in the history of British rock music deserving recognition by way of the erection of a Regent Street Heritage Plaque – only the second ever to be installed.”
Geoff Petts, Vice Chancellor of University of Westminster said: “The University of Westminster is always proud to pay tribute to the achievements of our alumni. We are delighted to be associated with the global success of Pink Floyd and celebrate that today with the unveiling of this plaque on Regent Street made possible by the generosity and vision of The Crown Estate.”