The Malta Independent on Sunday
A British style garden of gardens in Pietà
Iam writing this to pay homage to all the volunteers, both local and foreign and to the Friends of Villa Frère, who have undertaken the challenging task of restoring what remains of the Gardens of Villa Frère. They generously give of their time and energy to restore what was once a ‘delectable spot.’
I became an admirer of Sir John Hookham Frère years after I had first heard of him. This was when, in my Twenties, many mangoe seasons ago, Dr Donald Sultana the distinguished scholar and internationally recognised authority on Coleridge and other Romantic figures, on seeing me waiting for a bus to take me to the old University in Valletta, would stop to give me a lift.
He would invariably slow down at Pietà (with HMS Forth in the background) and point out the Villa and say: ‘That house was built by a philantropist who did a great deal for Malta and the Maltese.’ It was years later that I discovered who Frère was and the enormous contribution he had made in so many ways. A humanitarian indeed. I put him in the same category as those who fought so hard to abolish slavery, such as William Wilberforce and others. I was very happy to discover that his bust stands on the staircase of our National Library.
On Open Day at Villa Frère last Sunday I joined the 4pm tour, with tour leader Perit Edward Said, whose passion for restoration surpasses even my love of Nutella. It seems that a lot more people than had been expected in fact turned up – a good omen. Thanks to the various organizations, including Din L’Art Helwa and FAA, we are becoming more and more conscious of what has been lost but that there is still a great deal we can save.
Says Perit Said: “Over the last four years with only one third of its original three and a half acres remaining, works in the way of cleaning, reconstruction, planting and research has been undertaken. Later this year the Friends of Villa Frère will formally apply to the Government of Malta for guardianship of the upper gardens.” That is good news indeed.
Let me quote from Josephine
Tyndale-Biscoe’s book Villa Frère: A Lost Maltese Garden Rediscovered. I am certain that most of you have heard of Ms Tyndale-Biscoe from the press. Her grandmother Dolores Baxter (née Price) daughter of Captain Price had lived at Villa Frère after Captain Price took over the remaining 45 years of lease in 1886: This is what she says about Frère: “During the terrible cholera epidemic of 1837, he gave financial assistance to thousands of Maltese people. His generosity was well known to all, and a crowd of lame, old and blind people used to gather at the door of the Villa to beg for alms, which were never refused.”
Ms Tyndale-Biscoe’s book is sold by the Friends of Villa Frère. Proceeds will go to supporting the Friends of Villa Frère. Our guide told us that when the author and friends come to Malta they come with their pruning clippers in their luggage. He also told us of the generosity of members of the Spiteri family who live in Villa Frère and who support the Friends.
Perit Said said that Hookham Frère was so loved that the day he died the shops in Valletta remained closed in mourning. The last time I saw that happen was when Kenyatta died in Nairobi. We took our daughter to see his corps lying in state and I remember her saying loudly: ‘Look, he is sleeping with his shoes on!’
Sir John is buried in the Msida Bastion Garden of Rest which has been so beautifully restored by Din L’Art Helwa.
Perit Said pointed out several interesting facts and high spots of the garden with an understated sense of humour. As we were standing in the temple or neo-classical gazebo, the largest building of the old garden which is still standing, he told us how two of the columns had been stolen. ‘Just as well it was two corner columns and not the
main ones,’he quipped. I mean, what kind of persons would go to all the trouble of stealing two columns of an old, classical building. Deliquents.
Two plaques as a reminder of distinguished visitors such as Queen Mary were also stolen. Another act of vandalism.
I am truly impressed with the work of the Friends and also the volunteers who are contributing so much to restoring what remains of a garden which was the only Maltese garden to be featured in Country Life, the distinguished magazine which is still being published.
The Friends have a Facebook page and do keep on the lookout for future events, one of them a symposium to take place in October, if everything falls into place.
Ms Tyndale-Biscoe’s book is available from the Friends and certainly worth a read. It has excellent illustrations too and a reminder of the love that each owner gave in the building and improving, over so many years, this Garden of Gardens.