My grandparents house was set on memorial hill and had three theme gardens that had seen better days except for the rose garden that my grandfather looked after himself. The other two were left to go wild, the Faerie style garden had been partly fenced to become a chicken run by the caretaker. (probably post-war shortages) There was a fountain that still worked I guess the chickens never went thirsty but I was quite fearful of the fountain, my cousins had topled many of the marble figures into the water and I thought they were drowned angels reaching out for help.

The garden I remember most clearly was the chinosorie garden it had a number of quite beautiful carved temple sculptures and of course willows, sacred bamboo and willow pattern tiles marked the pathways. The most imposing feature was a three story pagoda that had been originally used by the family to watch the race meetings. The pagoda was in some disrepair, I was forbidden to play in it but never caught and the garden was quite overgrown.

Years of garden litter covered dilapidated treasures to be found by sweeping away the accumulated leaves. I found a small porcelain Chinese or Japanese figurine, named her Rosa and she became my imaginary companion. I don't remember when I eventually abandoned Rosa in the garden,. but in 1987 while I was in a coma following an accident, I returned to the garden frequently on my journeys. (see Quartet four love songs Overture) A person previously unconscious of the world violently evicted from his body while it heals puts on seven league boots discovers many worlds returns to take vacant possession of the damaged goods. Rosa was much older now and with a companion, a dwarf magician, she was very bitter and had spent her life trapped in the garden unable to leave. It