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Via the Telegraph

"The art historian's offer to leave Laskett Gardens to the National Trust is rejected because they are not important enough.

"The largest private formal gardens to be created in England since the end of the Second World War are to be “destroyed” – after an offer to bequeath them to the National Trust was snubbed."

Read full article here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/11157154/Sir-Roy-Strong-to-destroy-his-famous-gardens-after-snub-from-National-Trust.html

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  • That guy is a first class bumhole with a vastly overinflated sense of his own importance. Really incredible that he expects the National Trust to take it on, and absolutely hilairious that he's reacting like a spoiled child when they won't.

  • PRO

    But is it something we will look back on and wish it had been kept for posterity ?

    It so often happens, the "eccentric" create something unique, not in fashion today but in the future we suddenly 'get it'. By then its gone.......

    He is offering to finance it by leaving '£millions' for NT to maintain it (idea.gif  I'll happily take the contract :D ! )

  • Well, howd'ya like that? He was on Desert Island Discs this morning and it wasn't mentioned!

  • to be fair he may have an overinflated sense of self importance - but it wasnt exactally a selfish offer if he intended to endow it with money to cover ongoing running costs - and it is a popular attraction in its own right - so that alone proves its value, and makes me wonder if their were other reasons / strings attached that made the NT not take it?



  • Doug said:

    That guy is a first class bumhole with a vastly overinflated sense of his own importance. Really incredible that he expects the National Trust to take it on, and absolutely hilairious that he's reacting like a spoiled child when they won't.


    He may have his faults, Have you met him and have you been to the Garden?
  • PRO

    If Sir Roy is willing to provide millions then he should set up a trust specifically to maintain his garden and appoint trustees with a love and knowledge of horticulture.

  • No Robert, I haven't met him or been to the garden. There is an interesting review of it on Anne Wareham's site, with accompanying exchange of comments which has, amongst other sources, informed my views.

    http://thinkingardens.co.uk/reviews/the-laskett-reviewed-by-emma-bond/

    I agree with you Phil, the obvious thing to do would be to set up a trust with the millions he says he has pledged to the NT. Lots of gardens are run this way. But I have the feeling that for Roy Strong a garden is all about status: projecting an image of himself as a great aesthete of our times, aligning himself with the great landowners of the past (all those formal hedges, and bloody urns), and his offering it to the National Trust a way of showing us how benevolent he is.

    These aren't values I associate with a great garden (at least not a great garden of the 21st century).

  • Doug, You are welcome to your opinion I think freedom of speech is important, however when I said Sir Roy has his faults, I think the main one is he doesn't come across that well. Whilst I agree Im not sure the garden would suit Being a National Trust Garden, mainly due to the fact im not sure they could facilitate the numbers. It is a personal reflection of his own personality, which may be a bit ott but i respect anyone who builds a garden for themselves not to please anyone else. The best thing would be to put the garden into a trust as mentioned by Phil. A lot of people who create gardens are sometimes so passionate they have some social difficulties. You only have to look at what has been written about Lawrence Johnston, he was famously bad with people but created a fairly groundbreaking garden, (Hidcote) that may have lost its way recently but inspired many people. Just for the record Sor Roy is a top bloke and i enjoyed meeting him and being shown around his garden.

  • PRO

    Gardens naturally pass down generations and change overtime. The important thing is the gardens should remain largely intact throughout history. I cant believe he would want to take out bits and ruin the look he has created for his ego. His memory and wife's dedications to the garden would remain and probably go on if they were just left it intact. There are plenty of other charities and organisations that would take up the care of the garden. I'm sorry nice guy or not. What an idiot!

    So if Van Gogh cant give away his favourite artworks he vandalises them rather than pass them down??

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