John Elkington

Ganesh carving from Nepal

Some inventors and innovators have claimed to be under divine inspiration when making their breakthroughs.  Among five gods of invention flagged up in The Observer Book of Invention, that came free with today’s paper, is Ganesh – the elephant-headed god who Hindus see as the harbinger of success, prosperity and wisdom.  He is known for putting obstacles in front of those who need slowing down and for removing them ahead of people who need speeding up – and celebrated as a champion of new ventures. 

Given the fact that The Elephant Family preceded us in the new Volans Ventures offices in Bloomsbury Place, and that the garden contains two wonderful elephant head sculptures, I choose to take this as a reassuring portent – just as I take the sight of herons on the Thames or Barnes Pond in the same vein. It would be different if I were a fish farmer or fancier: twice in the past week I have met people who have had koi carp or similar stripped from their prized fish-ponds by extraordinarily cunning herons. 

One of the other gods of invention spotlighted was Thoth, generally thought to sport the head of an ibis, so not that far removed from a heron.  He was seen as the author of all works on science, religion, philosophy and magic, so it may be worth trying to get him on our side, too.

One of the saddest monuments in London is the memorial fountain to Diana, Princess of Wales, which I pass on my cycling journeys to and from SustainAbility. Stripped of the people – particularly the children – who used to paddle in its rivulets, it now seems a desperate waste of space. But today I spotted a crow playing there, which in the dark light of the Ted Hughes plaque I saw at Highgrove a few days back made me think there must be a dark, feathery thread running through all of this somewhere.

 

Sam and Patrin

After a brown-bag lunch with Diana Verde Nieto of Clownfish today, a group of us continued talking for a while – and then I asked Alexa (Clay) to take a few photographs.  Nice enough of the girls, but it strikes me that I come out looking a bit like Jack Nicholson in one of his less salubrious roles – perhaps The Witches of Eastwick, launched the same year as SustainAbility.  

Diana Verde Nieto and I Let’s get them in, 2 Sam, Diana, me, Patrin

After a day in the office, I made my way across to the Institute of Directors, to celebrate Christopher Ward’s last day as Chairman of WWF UK. Quite humid, but good to see people like Christopher, David Nussbaum, Tessa Tennant, Camilla Toulmin and Bob Worcester. Then, as I walked home by Barnes Pond, I snapped this – which rather caught the slightly Bocklin-like ‘Isle of the Dead atmosphere. Somewhere a woodpecker was calling.

 

Elaine and I drove across to Tetbury this morning, albeit with difficulty – there was a long tailback before we got on to the M4, because truck had hit a car, or vice versa, the ensemble blocking two lanes out of three.  We ended up having to drive significantly faster than I would have liked to get to the Calcot Manor Hotel in time for me to begin my speech at 11.00 at an event organised by executive coaching firm Praesta.  After an excellent lunch at the hotel, we were all coached across to Highgrove to see what Prince Charles and his gardeners have achieved there.  

It’s a long time since I was there – and progress has been very considerable.  A high wind was blowing as we walked around, with the trees sounding as if they were gravel beaches, with great storm surges coming in and receding.  My favourite corner, by far, was in the old ‘Stumpery,’ where one of two classical mini-temples now contains a stunning black plaque in memory of Ted Hughes, showing him with a Longfellowish head of hair together with a crow and what my eye variously made out to be a salmon or a pike.

After a champagne tea, we were bussed back to the hotel, via Kemble station, and Elaine and I decided to drive up through Cirencester and thence to Little Rissington, to drop in on Hill House.  Turned out very well – with a lovely light slanting across the gardens as we collected vegetables to bring back to London.  I spent some happy moments watching bees making free with the foxgloves.  But all of this buccolia comes at a price: filling up the Volvo’s fuel tank in Tetbury cost £73.  Thanks heavens we rarely have to go anywhere by car.

Bee in foxglove Foxgloves Tim and Elaine netting  Caroline