We say goodbye to our most beloved Queen of Notting Hill, Robina Rose.

Robina was a truly loved gem and advocate for anything and everything Notting Hill!  Having lived all her life on Elgin Crescent,  she was the oracle of Notting Hill, always happy to spend time and share her wealth of knowledge and memories on the area. Robina’s father, Reggie had moved to Elgin Crescent with his recently divorced mother in 1913, quite the scandal back then as Robina would proudly highlight to us, and like her father and mother Mary, Robina became an integral part of the local community.

Robina was the first face to introduce herself when I opened Select gallery in September 2019. We quickly became friends and I eagerly awaited her daily stop off at the gallery for an animated chat over a mug of tea. The conversation was everflowing and covered so many topics from the history of Notting Hill to her deep interest in Astronomy, her film making to her abundant recollections of famed figures & characters of the area; as a teenager she once asked Suzy Creamcheese if that was her real name!   With us both being able to talk for Britain it was never a dull moment and so much laughter entwined as I learnt on a daily basis a new snippet of Notting Hill history or indeed more about Robina herself and her many adventures over the years. She simply never ceased to amaze! And to her delight I repeatedly told her this. 

I feel blessed to have known Robina if only for a sprinkle of years the wisdom she shared with me will stay with me and I hope to share with those around me. Thank you Robina for all the laughter, your fabulous stories and your infectious enthusiasm for Notting Hill. Thank you for inviting me to see your work at the Tate Britain exhibition  ‘Women In Revolt’, for introducing me to ‘The Holy Tavern’, a pub, unbelievably located outside of Notting HIll and has now become one of my go-to’s! And of course thank you for introducing me to pantomime at the age of 51 at the fabulous Tabernacle!

You shall forever be in our hearts Robina, never forgotten, and forever a part of the beautiful diverse tapestry which makes Notting Hill so very special and unique just like you. To borrow one of Robina’s favourite farewell expressions  ‘Thank You For Existing’

The BFI will be screening Robina’s night shift May 13th. It is a fabulous short film of which Robina was incredibly proud of. You can book tickets here.