Weymouth lost one of its most roarsomely beloved characters last week, as Mark House tragically died at the age of 56. Mark was an incredible welder, sculptor, and artist; an indomitable and unique local spirit; a core member of the Convoy Cabaret crew who performed at festivals across the UK; and a much-loved father, grand-dog, brother, uncle, and friend to a great many people.
Born on Elvolvis on 13 April 1969 in Weymouth, Mark spent the majority of his life in Dorset. Educated first at Weymouth’s Technical College and also at Weymouth College, where his giant scrap-metal Scorpion sculpture still stands proud,
Mark always enjoyed working with his hands and created a great many local pieces. From the Remembrance Spitfire that hangs over Portland Road to the incredibly memorable metal dinosaur created for a one-year carnival to more prosaic projects like the benches at Alexandra Gardens or the wrought-iron railings along Weymouth’s promenade, Mark’s many creations are a testament to his creativity and durability as an artist.
But to Weymouthians and ravers and rockers everywhere, Mark House was far more than that; he was Blaus!! The kind of man who comes along once in a million. A huge presence on the local music scene, where he was always to be found dancing, often with his trusty German Shepherd companion in attendance. Warm, generous, loyal, and colourful and an outstanding friend to many. Mark loved to party and was a vital component in the UK festival scene, where his creativity and practicality were a great help to Convoy Cabaret, Bearded Theory, and I’m sure many more over the years.
As well as creating and partying, Mark also created that most important thing, a loving family. He fell in love with Luanne in the late 1990s; the pair were married. In the first decade of the new millennium, the couple produced three children, Maddie, Jamie, and Lucy, whom he loved dearly. Maddie, in turn, gave him two grandchildren, Kenzie and Layla, who he was immensely proud of and who affectionately called him Grand-dog. And speaking of dogs, Mark was joined in nearly every gig, gathering, party, and premise by a series of loyal German Shepherd dogs. My everlasting memory of Mark and his dogs was him bringing 13-year-old Bramble on a thirty-five-strong stag party to Newquay and the hound behaving better than some of the humans!! But that was Mark in a nutshell, often wiser than you realised and always ready to take one for the team and help somebody out. He was and always will be a proper legend.
In addition to this, Mark successfully ran his own business for many years, Mowlam Metalcraft, where his welder fabricator skills were in high demand over the years. He designed and built many gates, railings, trailers, anvils, dinosaurs, or anything else you could think to build out of metal, stone, or wood. He truly was a man for all the ages. As Raoul Duke once wrote about the famed Dr. Gonzo, “He was a high-powered mutant of some kind, never even considered for mass production. Too rare to live and too weird to die”. And as local songwriters have proven this week, legends never die!!! Mark is survived by his three children, two grandchildren, and of course Norm the dog.
The funeral is at Weymouth crematorium on Wednesday, 19 November, at 10am. The family requests that you wear something bright and psychedelic if possible. Any donations towards the funeral and wake costs can be made to a special account:
A tribute also from local musician Jamie Pinnow:
You don’t just meet a person like Mark; they ARRIVE, and you know from that moment that you are going to be friends. A unique colourful bundle of energy and pure love. He was talented beyond my comprehension, especially with his magical wizardry with metal. I will miss the bear hug greeting and the sight of him showing the world how to have a good time PROPERLY! He will be missed by so, so many people. Weymouth will never be the same. My love to all his family and close ones. We love you Mark. X
