Memories, Dreams, Reflections

When I lived here and things were difficult, I used to come and sit in the Botanic Garden, which was right next door to the college and in those days entry was free. I even wrote a poem about it, which I still have at home.

In the (almost) 400 years since it was founded, the Botanic Garden has been an inspiration for many other writers. It has  featured in "Alice in Wonderland" and "Brideshead Revisited" and Tolkien, a champion of trees in his books, had a favourite black pine tree (sadly felled in 2014  after it began to collapse).

As I wandered around today, revisiting the places which had brought me themost happiness, I thought of Phillip Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy, where different worlds coexist. Today's city is a place with so many layers - people living here with their own history, stories and memories. 

I sat here on what has become known as "Lyra's Bench", the place where she and Will parted at the end of "The Amber Spyglass" before the window between their different worlds closed forever. They agreed to come to this bench at noon on Midsummers day every year, apart in the flesh but together in spirit.

here is my favourite quote from the end of that book -

"You have to be all those difficult things, like curious and kind and cheerful and patient, and you have to work hard at your dreams because they don't come true all by themselves. Give all your imagination to love and living ... And learn all you can ... because it takes all sorts to build the Republic of Heaven."


Philip Pullman