[Frances Donaldson, Evelyn Waugh Portrait of a Country Neighbour, Weidenfeld & Nicholson 1967]
“…. When we first knew him [Mr Waugh] he strove against this paralysing boredom in odd ways. He went, as I have said, for walks over very long distances. Twice a week he spent the afternoon in the cinema in Dursley, irrespective, I think, of the film that was showing, once for each change of programme. He entertained himself with grandiose projects in his garden. He built what became known as The Edifice – a semi-circular stone wall about ten feet in height, surmounted with battlements and with a paved area beneath it. When this was finished he advertised for human skulls to adorn the battlements. He received a surprising number of replies, which I doubt he had expected, and he had to refuse most of the offerings. The Edifice was not a great success. Many people thought it hideous and [Mr Waugh] himself was not satisfied with it although he got pleasure from the building. A path in the garden was made by inverting and planting empty champagne bottles, ….” [p23]
