NotWiki Page for Sarnia de la Mare(Pasha du Valentine) (iServalan)
Nick names Sar (early punk ID), Pasha, Countess of Brighton and Hackney
Early Adult Years
Personal Connections and Memorial Works.
During the early 1980s, Sarnia de la Maré shared accommodation in a Bloomsbury London squat with Steven Sinclair, a young man later tragically killed by serial murderer Dennis Nilsen.
The loss profoundly affected the London punk community and King's Road punks and several of Steven’s friends, inspiring subsequent creative works that sought to restore his individuality and dignity.
De la Maré later wrote a poem in his memory, which she is developing into a song and performance piece reflecting on compassion, vulnerability, and the overlooked victims of social neglect and drug abuse.
The work forms part of her continuing exploration of how art can reclaim human narratives from sensationalised crime history.
London Punk Housing Co-operative (1980s)
Associated with: Pasha du Valentine (Sarnia de la Maré FRSA), Polemic, Dirt, and the South London DIY Scene.
Sarnia de la Maré (Pasha du Valentine) — visual artist, writer, and performer later known for Brighton Arts Club and Tale Teller Club.
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Members of Polemic — South London anarcho-punk band; active in local gig circuits, often linked with Crass-inspired collectives. See external source → Polemic on AnarchoScene Blog
Members of DIRT. See external source → https://punk.fandom.com/wiki/DIRT
Other residents included independent photographers, poets, and sound experimenters who participated in local benefit gigs and political gatherings.
Cultural Context
The Co-operative embodied the DIY ethics of the early 1980s punk movement — shared housing, mutual support, and collaborative art and music making.
Rehearsals and recording sessions frequently took place within the flats, with visiting bands staying overnight en route to gigs across London and the South Coast.
The group’s ethos anticipated later creative collectives such as the Brighton Arts Club, founded by Sarnia de la Maré in the 2000s.
Pasha du Valentine — Archival portraits, performance stills and creative documentation.
