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Warren Dosanjh - writer, businessman and friend of Syd Barrett - dies at 79




Warren Dosanjh, a childhood friend of Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett who went on to become his first manager, has died at the age of 79.

Also known for running Hope Street Yard in Cambridge, Warren was a popular figure in the city.

Warren Dosanjh. Picture: Keith Heppell
Warren Dosanjh. Picture: Keith Heppell

Warren’s daughter, Lily Dosanjh, paid tribute to her father, calling him a “well-loved and talented individual”.

She added: “Warren Dosanjh was a jack of all trades: a father, a businessman, a writer, an adventurer, and most importantly, a friend to all.

“I know that dad will be sorely missed by everyone that he has met during his very productive life.”

Warren was born at The Brunswick Nursing Home in the centre of Cambridge on 10 July, 1945.

His father was Tony Dosanjh, a Sikh who moved from India to settle in Cambridge, and who set up Hope Street Yard as a community of traders in 1947.

Warren took it over after his father’s death – and it was there that the Cambridge Independent went to meet him nearly nine years ago for a Culture cover feature in the very first edition of the Cambridge Independent in September 2016.

Today, the site is owned by developer Camel Projects (Histon).

After passing his 11+, Warren gained a place at the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys in Hills Road (also known as ‘The County’), the school which Syd Barrett also attended.

While at the school, he was in the 7th Cambridge Scout Troop with Syd Barrett, who was a year younger than him, and Albie Prior. The latter would later become the lead guitarist in Cambridge band The Ramblers.

Warren later became the manager and roadie of a new R&B band called Those Without, where he once again came across Syd Barrett. Syd played guitar and bass in the band from 1963 to 1965.

“Syd Barrett was a nice, well-spoken guy, and everyone liked him,” Warren told Gemma Gardner for our feature.

“I remember him not for Pink Floyd but as a well-spoken, likeable guy who we grew up with – a friend who just lost his way.”

After Syd moved to London in the mid-60s, Warren never spoke to him again, even after he later returned to live in Cambridge.

“Sometimes I would pass him in the street as he lived just around the corner from me,” he recalled in the interview, “but he was always in a different world and I didn’t want to invade his privacy.”

Syd passed away on 7 July 2006 from pancreatic cancer.

Warren and Stephen Pyle, another friend of Syd’s who met him when the two began Saturday art classes at Cambridge’s Homerton College, led a Syd Barrett walking tour of the city.

Stephen was also a member of Those Without and was the person who came up with the name ‘Pink Floyd’.

As an author, Warren was behind the successful The Music Scene of Cambridge, researching and compiling this 76-page booklet that contains a Cambridge city map and has descriptions of the different venues and many unknown Cambridge bands of the 60s.

In 2020, Warren, along with Pink Floyd expert Glenn Povey, wrote an ‘early’ David Gilmour biography titled High Hopes.

The book is filled with pictures and anecdotes about the Pink Floyd singer-guitarist, but was only issued in a very limited release of 500 copies.

Warren isn’t mentioned in most of the Floydian – and Syd Barrett – biographies, although Julian Palacios’ Dark Globe is one that does name him.

Nonetheless, he played a small but crucial role in the early history of Syd Barrett and of Pink Floyd, and a significant role in the 60s Cambridge music scene.

Following his death on 8 January, Warren’s funeral will be held on Wednesday, 5 February, at 10.30am at All Saints Church in Lolworth, near Cambridge, CB23 8HH.

Following the service, there will be drinks and nibbles from 12.30pm onwards at Warren’s favourite pub, The Geldart, 1 Ainsworth Street CB1 2PF.

Lily said that in his funeral plan, her dad requested to have no flowers.

“Instead, we would like to collect money to gift to the Cambridge Hash House Harriers, an organisation close to dad’s heart – for the drinking aspect, not the running aspect,” she said.

“The proceeds will go towards organising a Sunday Hash in honour of dad. On on!”



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