“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
It was back in 1995/1996 that both Amanda and me were involved in the re-landscaping of JRR Tolkiens last home near Branksome Chine. This extraordinary writer had sadly passed away some years previously, and his home, complete with 'blue plaque', was now owned by the last person to see it standing. To cut a story short, a developer bought the place, has since claimed that he had no idea that the address held any historical significance (blue plaque when he pulled it down, a little research (I am 'just' a gardener and new all this beforehand!) may just have been a giveaway! He then demolished it, built two new homes with no such history, and made lot's of money. This mindset is part of the reason why we became self employed 23 years ago
Tolkien spent his last days with his wife here, and staying at the Hotel Miramar on the East Cliff.. We were charged with not only hard landscaping the terraces at the back of the house, but also creating a 'river' out of plants to simulate the effect of the the River Bruinen. There was even a bridge over it, which, although not in the script, needed to be there.
I love the very simple quote above by Gandalf, and it couldn't be more emotive to us personally right now.
With overpopulation here in Portland the large old craftsman homes, especially those on large parcels of land like ours are torn down. Builders buy them up and then cram as many new homes as possible on them. We get offers for our home all the time, not that I would ever sell.
ReplyDeleteA fitting quote indeed.
ReplyDeleteThat is absolute sacrilege that all that history was destroyed for ever. There was a beautiful old farmhouse on the hill just above where I live. The old couple who lived there all their lives died in their nineties. A developer bought it, made it unrecognizably smart and ripped the heart out.
ReplyDelete