Eden Project

I’ve just been (yet again) to see the Eden Project in Cornwall. For those that don’t know, this is a very professionally presented educational charity.

Their vision is:
“Overall we believe the world we live in is facing radical change – and our aim is to help find positive futures in the face of that change. To get in shape for the challenges of the future we need a culture that knows how to sustain the things that sustain us and at the same time nurtures creativity, imagination and adaptability.

We are an organisation that believes in "learning by doing" and we try to run our operations in ways that help address some big questions. Questions like: How do we ensure the economic benefits of our work go back into the local economy? How do we manage food supply and waste? Or how do we construct buildings in a way that reflect the needs of the 21st Century?”

They welcome a million visitors a year to their award-winning site in a disused china clay pit. Its a great place to visit at any time of the year. The joy of multiple visits over the years is that you see real change. This is NOT a static stuck-in-a-time-warp site.

I think what impressed me most this time was how happy the kids were. It was half term, and there were many families with children of all ages. Yet I never heard a child cry without a real reason - like falling down. It was a pleasure to visit an major public exhibit without hearing whine and screeches of boredom and attention seeking. My congratulations to the Eden Project for both what they have set out to do and for making the facilities so child-friendly.

Sam Davies coming home......

The Vendee Globe is coming to an end. Michel Desjoyeau has won in record breaking time, and in style. The remaining fleet have now all rounded Cape Horn. Months of sailing are coming to an end.

I have found it really entertaining, not in the least because I too have been racing around in the Virtual Race. I’m west of the Canaries at the moment. The Vendee Globe website www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ for the real race has been particularly well serviced, and the interviews and e-mail comments from the skippers have been well worth following.

I have so much enjoyed Sam Davies’ comments. She did a great commentary on ‘types of waves’ the other day www.vendeeglobe.org/en/newswire/8721/sam-on-waves.html - so true. For unadulterated commentary from Sam, have a look at Sam’s very pink website www.samdavies.com/gb_les_news.asp- (its a bilingual site, so if it comes up french, click on the Union Jack top right).