1/6 Jos with some of his buildings in the garden (photo: Rogier van Son).
Jos van Gils (72) from Son en Breugel was a dental technician for a large part of his life. You wouldn’t immediately guess that his garden is full of small houses, castles and fantasy buildings that he made himself. He can explain it himself. Due to his previous work, he is used to being very precise when making bridges and crowns. He now uses those skills to build his own fantasy world.
“I like to call it a Madurodam garden,” he says. Walkers regularly stop at his garden in Orionlaan. “If they are there for more than a minute, they can also come and look in the backyard.”
Jos is spot on. He uses photographs to recreate buildings in miniature. In this way he built a piece of mini-Amsterdam. He thought a brothel should not be missing. “A brothel here on Orionlaan. I already have a reputation,” he says, smiling broadly. “That’s part of it. That is Amsterdam.”
The practice room where he used to work on bridges and crowns is now his hobby room. Jos has been working on a building for months. Here you can retreat into your own world. “I’m dreamy sometimes. I am a fantasy person.”
“I bought all the pill boxes in one store.”
Anyone who walks through his garden will also come across scenes from The Lord of the Rings films. Jos also likes to recreate existing buildings from all over the world. The Colosseum in Rome, a piece of Russia, a pyramid from Egypt. “These are buildings in Greece,” he says as he gives a tour. This is a village in Switzerland. You have everything together here.”
His wife likes his hobby and sometimes gives advice. “Then she says that the roof should be a lighter color. That works out well.” Or she donates a knitting needle that he can use as a flagpole.
He only has stained glass windows and roof tiles from the factory. Furthermore, Jos makes everything himself. All kinds of materials can be useful. For example, he uses pill boxes as molds to make the stones. “I bought all the pill boxes in one store. The cashier thought: that gentleman is taking a lot of medication. She didn’t know what I needed them for.”
“This is a true piece of Efteling.”
It started 25 years ago. In Jos’s garden there was a statue of a Laaf, an inhabitant of the fairytale Land of Laaf in the Efteling. Someone suggested adding a house. So more and more were added. “I say every time I quit. A while later there is something new again.”
But that is not the only piece of Efteling in Jos’ garden. “This is the girl with the matchsticks. There was a drawing in the newspaper. They shouldn’t show me that. Then I have to go again if necessary. I often hear from people that it looks like the Efteling here.”
Perhaps Jos himself enjoys it the most. “Every morning when I open the curtains, I feel like I’m seeing it for the first time. It gives a very nice feeling.” But he also enjoys showing it to others. So if you are looking for a special outing during the autumn holidays, you can drive to Orionlaan in Son en Breugel. “I’d like to talk about it. They can know everything.”
