Hosted by Cecily and Chris
All photos are copyright of Maggie May.
Practically everyone in Britain will remember Jill Dando, the journalist and TV presenter who was famous for programmes like Crimewatch and Holiday, Breakfast News and Six O'clock News. She was gunned down and murdered outside her home in April 1999.
This caused a wave of shock throughout the country as she was a very popular person.
There was a team of make over gardeners on BBC TV around that time, called Ground Force, led by Alan Titchmarsh. Some time after her death, they televised one such programme changing an old rose garden in Weston Super Mare to a beautiful garden in memory of Jill, for she was from that town and had spent her childhood there with her family.
This is a general view of one side of the garden. The blue pagoda type trellises and obelisks provide support for plants and give colour when there isn't much in flower. There are fish in the pond and some lovely water lilies.
And this is the other side of the garden. Luckily there were no other visitors at the time I chose to take photos, as it can get rather crowded.
This was a specially made plaque depicting Forget-me-nots, for obvious reasons. There were shadows of leaves falling across the plaque that obscured the picture a bit, but I liked the effect of this so did not change it for a clearer one.
There were Alliums peeping out from behind a pagoda and it was so difficult choosing just a few pictures for this post. I took many more than I needed.
31 comments:
It looks a lovely place to sit quietly. Such a dreadful thing to happen to anyone.
You're right about back to school, seems like we were never away!
Yes, Maggie - I've been there too and that story did need telling since Jill was such a wonderful young lady cut down in her prime by a 'lunatic'.
You told the story beautifully in caring words and pictures. The photographs are beautiful.
I'm just off to see your Banski now ~ Eddie
What a lovely way to celebrate and remember her life.
A beautiful garden for remembering such a special person. Your photos are excellent. It doesn't seem like it's been ten years plus. Time goes so fast.
That garden is very, very beautiful.
A good story and a beautiful garden.
Wow! What a sad, but beautiful tribute. It always amazes me -- the beauty that sometimes emerges from tragedy.
what a beautiful garden to remember her by. lovely.
happy PSF!
The garden is most certainly a beautiful tribute to a life ended too soon and so tragically. And you, Maggie, have done a beautiful job yourself in posting your lovely photographs of this place.
Peace.
truly a beautiful place...i imagine it would be peaceful. a gentle reminder of someone special.
how wonderful it is, to have people remember you that way.
I can't even imagine, will people remember me if I died? if they do, is it because of goodness or my badness?
this is wonderful.
I am not aware, interesting but sad reading about her. Beautiful pictures Maggie.
Jill was a truly nice woman, friendly and open, quite ordinary in a way...the girl next door with a smile as bright as Christmas and the manner of her death, shocking. I remember the program. Lovely garden and memorial.
This is a beautiful garden, and a lovely way to memorialize someone special. Your photo of the plaque is perfect with the shadows of the leaves falling across it! I've found that a beautiful garden is the perfect place to de-stress and find some peace in life. I do hope you get to visit it often, Maggie May!
Of course I didn't know Jill personally but she always seemed so nice, the garden is a lovely tribute to her. Thanks for sharing your photos as it's not somewhere I have visited.
I am so happy to see this. I was quite a fan of Jill Dando and I loved watching her on BBC World on the Holiday programme out here in India. I was shocked to a standstill when she was murdered and had my mother and sisters send me out loads of magazines and newsprint about the whole thing. This is a beautiful way she has been commemmorated. She was very much loved by many people.
a very sweet memorial, both your post and the garden.
Here’s my photo story. happy Friday!
That's a horrible thing. But what a beautiful place.
What a story Maggie. And what a shame.
They got the person(s) that did it?
And why? I don't understand why it was done? Why kill her?
The garden and your pics are absolutely stunning! Almost melancholic for me.
Someone was convicted of Jill's murder but was later released on appeal. So as it stands her murderer is still at large. Are any of us safe? Jill was such a natural and open person just like the girl next door. The garden is a very fitting tribute to her.
Looks like a very tranquil spot! Glad they could provide such a beautiful tribute to her.
What a beautiful way to pay a tribute to someone!
Back for a walk in a special place.
What a horrible crime! So sad.
I'm so glad they made this beautiful garden, that is full of beauty and peace. Your pictures capture that perfectly. You can feel the tranquility and beauty, coming off the screen. I never heard of Jill's Garden. Thank you for sharing this wonderful garden.
XXXXXX
Maggie, how I thank you for sharing this. The death of Jill was so shocking and such a waste of God's work...I love her garden...and I miss Ground Force so much...when Alan left it, the essence of it went with him, even though I loved all of the group. Again, thanks so much...
Sandi
What a lovely way to memorialize her. It looks like such a calming place. I love that shadow shot on the Forget-me-nots plaque.
Oh it's absolutely lovely. I had not realised it existed. I thought Jill was lovely. A dreadful loss to us all.
That would be a special place to go and reflect, Maggie.
Those blue trellises evoke tranquility, and the lushness of the natural world in such a place calms the soul.
It's a beautiful garden. I was lucky enough to work with Jill for a time at BBC Radio Devon and I know she would love the garden.
I didn't know about this garden, though I remember Jill Dando. This will go on an ever growing list of new places to visit when next I am over in England.
What a beautiful tribute. I love the shadows on the pictures of the forget-me-nots. Thanks for sharing this corner of your world.
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