I was working on our latest songwriting project when I heard someone at the front door. Cecile called to say that she would go and see who it was. A few minutes later she brought the visitor into the room. It was Ben Henry-Lloyd. I rose to greet him.
"Ben. Great to see you!" I began before moving the conversation on to overdue pleasantries.
When I worked for his father - Willard - at Henry-Lloyd Construction, Ben was reaching the end of a long apprenticeship. Willard wanted his son to have practical experience in all aspects of the business, not only to understand that business and gain numerous skills, but also to appreciate the expertise and the day-to-day issues his employees faced. Part of that time was spent working alongside me in the office. Now that Ben is in charge of Henry-Lloyds, he maintains the high standards of the family business.
"You're right," Ben was saying, "We need to socialise more. You've done well with your songwriting since you left the company. I confess, we didn't fully understand your reasons at the time, but here you are now - writing for Lionel Grand and others, doing that musical... Great stuff." He paused. "Anyway, you're probably wondering why I'm here."
Cecile provided the reason. "He's trying to track down Rowan."
Ben nodded. "That's right. I called at his house and Angelica said he was working part time at Mellowdene Van Hire. I went there to speak to one of the Truffles and Eustace Barrington said Rowan was helping out in the garage. I went next door and Murphy Van Dyke said that he'd left for the day but he'd said he'd be calling at his sister's. So here I am."
"I told Ben that he's not been here yet," Cecile added as we took our seats..
Rowan left his job as an architect with Henry-Lloyd Construction some time ago in order to go traveling. He went missing for ten years before unexpectedly returning to Mellowdene, complete with wife and children. (I've covered that in previous tales.) Rather than returning to his previous career he has taken a sequence of short-term jobs in an assortment of fields. We explained this to ourselves as the remnants of his desire to have variety in his life. Fair enough, but he was a brilliant architect.
Ben sighed. "Whilst I'm waiting, I may as well tell you. You worked for us, and then you've had a long while not working for us. Maybe you can offer a balanced opinion."
"If I can," I replied.
"I need to speak with Rowan about the work he did designing Cherry Blossom Avenue," said Ben. "The company is faced with a problem."
o 0 O 0 o
Before I go any further I think it would be advantageous to give you an overview of the local geography. This will help you understand the positioning of Cherry Blossom Avenue in relation to other landmarks and more familiar locations.
My home - Butterglove House - has an address of number one, Dandelion Lane. (This is marked with a red circle in the partial map below.) If you come out of our front gate and turn left, you would soon reach a junction. A right turn takes you onto East Dock Lane which would take you past my favourite snack bar (marked 11) and on towards the dockyards and the river. East Dock Lane then veers left and changes its name to Yew Road. If, on the other paw, you should take a left turn out of Dandelion Lane, you would find yourself on a curving lane where you will find the residence of Horatio Seadog. This lane is called Bluebell Row and it, like Yew Road, both terminate at a long thoroughfare called Wedge Road, so called because it runs towards and alongside a significant geological feature called The Wedge.
How to describe The Wedge? Well, from what I recall of my school lessons, we have to go back to the beginnings of Sylvania. When the land was settling, denser rocks didn't settle as much. The Wedge was of those geological features that remained higher than the adjacent landscape and it is appropriately named. It rises steeply as it progresses southwest towards the river to the height of four or five critters and then levels off until it reaches the end. At that point some people might then refer to it as a small cliff looming above Wedge Road, but that sounds over dramatic to me. Granted, it looks a bit like a tall wall when one emerges from Yew Road but we are used to it. It can look quite majestic when the evening sun catches the variety of minerals embedded within.
A number of years ago a group of Mellowdenians decided to take advantage of its height and arrange to build a house up there. It was a marvellous vantage point for looking down river. An access road was built which had to snake back and forth to make the gradient more manageable and this road became known as Wedgewynde. It led all the way to the end - a promontory overlooking the river - and it was there that the large house was built. Riverview Point. This is now the holiday home of Lionel Grand. (Marked 18.)
The elevation at other side of The Wedge was originally not as stark. It didn't appear quite as cliff-like. It was more akin to a collection of rocks and boulders that diminished in size as one moved south east.
Over the years, these rocks were plundered for building materials. Eventually it was decided to clear the remaining boulders away and it was noticed that the rock flats beneath would make excellent foundations for new homes. Nevertheless it would take a skilled architect to realise this and design homes to fit into that landscape.
Fortunately, Henry-Lloyd Construction employed an innovative architect called Burdock Rowan Ivory.
The cleared land extended from a large grove of cherry blossom trees all the way to the coastal road and the end of The Wedge where, high above, Riverview Point sat alone. During the planning of the homes that would become Cherry Blossom Avenue, there was a decision to carve some steps to provide additional access to the top of the Wedge. The comparative isolation of Riverview Point meant the house wasn't as attractive to families and there were periods where it was left unoccupied. The steps could help. Since Lionel Grand bought Riverview Point there have been ambitious discussions about adding an elevator platform to provide even more access.
Rowan designed each house differently because of the random nature of the land beneath. This appealed to his sense of creativity and he gave many of the houses different features. However, he wanted to ensure that the different designs didn't clash in appearance. On the contrary - he intended that their differences should give a sense of harmony.
Although the designs were completed, Rowan didn't remain to see the Avenue built. He had long desired to go "adventuring" and left Mellowdene as the contractors were assembling. Henry-Lloyd Construction oversaw the work by trusted construction companies brought in from outside the village. Rowan, of course, didn't return until ten years or so had passed.
By this time, Cherry Blossom Avenue was well established and considered to be greatly desired high-end properties. I think the term "all mod cons" is the vernacular. Rowan's artistry was admired, although many were unaware of the identity of the architect. I didn't know until comparatively recently.
I should mention, although I hope it is obvious, that the Avenue was named because of the grove of cherry blossom trees nearby. The grove was already enjoyed as a place to go and meditate and be at one with nature. Some tasteful paving and seating areas were added and the grove became known as Cherry Blossom Park. To solidify the connection between the Avenue and the Park, additional trees were planted, spaced along the Avenue.
o 0 O 0 o
The problem, as Ben described it, was triggered by the growing population in Mellowdene. Within the village itself, new houses had to fit in with the "feel" of the existing structures. Beyond the village, new homes tend to be more rustic. The Waters Brothers were capable of quickly erecting sturdy log cabins that fit in with the landscape but they were rarely called upon to build within the village itself.
Some months ago, the council had surveyed the villagers to find out what they wanted from new houses. Our mayor, Ramsey Nettlefield, had delegated the job of analysing the results to his deputy, Bill Waddlington. As a consequence, Bill wanted to meet with someone from Henry-Lloyd Construction and Ben went along.
He informed us that the meeting concerned Cherry Blossom Avenue.
It didn't go well.
o 0 O 0 o
(To be continued)
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