Dowdeswell (Sydney),

The article in my weblog about Sydney Dowdeswell's art environment got a comment (May 2017) by a reader from the United Kingdom, using the name Macknight 131, who as a youngster visited this site.

It is an interesting, informative reaction, worthy to be added to this collection of texts about art environments in Europe.

I was first taken to see the garden at Hindlip /Smite as a young seven year old by my father . He had been introduced to the spectacle a week or so earlier by his friend, a Mr.Skinner of Claines near Worcester . At that age I was of course not particularly thrilled at the idea of going to see someone’s garden, unless it had swings and roundabouts perhaps. The car was parked at the meeting of two lane ends if I remember correctly and the house and garden filled the angle of land where they met. High hedgerows prevented any preview and we entered via. a small garden gate . Once inside the place presented its wonders little by little as we carefully ambled around .

Despite my tender years I was totally awestruck, gob-smacked to put it bluntly. Peacocks, butterflies , birds of every colour all illustrated using tinted broken glass from bottles .Thousands upon thousands of sea shells , broken tile and household ceramic . This mosaic of material all set into a bed of mortar to form a forever work of art.

Then there were fish ponds with a miniature bridge and water ways , hand made and painted garden gnomes and caricatures busily fishing. Arches and walkways, all splendidly patterned and illustrated beyond imagination . The remaing trunks of long dead trees brought to life with a shimmering cover of glass and shell while life-size.

Storks observed through glass eyes the visitor exploring the tightest and most secret of the gardens corners . You walked pathway after pathway though this little slice of heaven and with each circuit found something new and unnoticed on a previous passing . This was all blended skilfully with a brilliant array of bedding plants and annuals.

At length with all of this wonder stored in mind it was time to return to the car and home for tea. The exit was through the same cottage gate and coins could be dropped into a thank you box on the gate post . Very few people overlooked this opportunity to show their appreciation of all the years of effort that the mystery gardener had devoted to this minor miracle of creative art ,

So ended my first visit. Over the years as I grew into adulthood and introduced many others to the wonders at Smite. I remember on one very rare occasion having the chance to speak with the man responsible for its creation. Sidney Dowdeswell was a quite unassuming man and with some persuasion he outlined his story. He astounded me with the fact that for years he had cycled to his work ( In Worcester I think ) and back again each day but with energy to spare for his beloved project.

I moved to the far north in 1977 and paid no further visits to this wonderful place but it was forever in my memory.

Recently on seeking to find mention of the garden on the internet with the idea of visiting with my younger grandchildren, I was so pleased to find this blog and web page referring to the garden . Then horrified to read that Sidney’s life’s work had been demolished after his death to make way for some modern project or other ( was this vandalism carried out on the alter of money ? )

To me and hundreds of thousands of others this was indeed a national treasure and worth just as much to our heritage as anything to be found in the Tate. Why oh why ??? Thankfully we have good old Pathe News to thank for their short but illustrative film showing Sidney at his art. That however will never come close to the wonder on a young boys face on encountering this magical garden for the first time.

I'm 72 now and would love to walk with my to youngest grandchildren around that garden again but that can now, never be. I'm sorry Sidney, but its seems that it was just in the way ….....

Rest in peace Sidney Dowdeswell for I and many many others will take the memory of your wonderful garden to the grave.

added to OEE texts July 2019