In a rambling public park in Ealing, a west London suburb with a large Japanese community, lie the remains of what was once a celebrated Japanese garden. Neglected for nearly 70 years, it stands untouched, a relic of a bygone era.
Now, with the approach of "Japan 2001," a year of cultural activities in Britain aimed at promoting bilateral relations, local resident and Japan enthusiast Liam O'Brien hopes to restore it to its former glory to bring local and Japanese residents together.
The garden is in Gunnersbury Park and was created toward the end of the 19th century by the Rothschild banking family at a time when there was a fascination in Europe for Japanese things. It featured typical characteristics such as ponds, small bridges and lanterns but did not adhere to the basic strictures of Zen gardens.
It was perhaps the lack of this austerity that made the garden so popular with the English gentry. But after the Rothschilds sold the park to the local council in the 1920s, it fell into neglect.