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Machina Volante Leonardo wings Leonardo parachute Downstairs at the Lightbox Right-hand bike once thought to be by Leonardo Outside, fish Pegasus or Phoenix, nice wings Hazelnuts from Jane’s garden

Delightful chat with my mother, Pat, this morning, on the occasion of her 87th birthday. She recalled Herman Goering’s attempt to kill her, when she was sitting in a park south of London, wearing uniform and close by to an anti-aircraft battery.  In the distance, three planes could be seen from as far as 20 miles away as they sped north – directly towards her. She reflected on how wonderful the RAF were, only to have them machine-gun her. Luckily for her – and me – they missed.

Shortly afterwards, despite my still suffering from bronchitis, Elaine and I headed south to see a friend, Jane Davenport, who pre-dates even Elaine, and to take a look at a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at The Lightbox in Woking, where Jane volunteers.  

Extraordinary to see one of Leonardo’s sketchbooks – and some of the working demonstrated the dazzling range of the man’s imagination, from diving helmets and machine guns (he’d have been interested to take a look inside those Luftwaffe aircraft) to self-propelling cars and parachutes. Across the road, as we went to collect the car, there was a Pegasus, or similar, carved from a single oak tree, which extended the afternoon’s winged theme.  Then home to Jane’s for a leisurely series of coffees and teas in the sun, with hazelnuts cannoning down on the roof of the nearby summerhouse. One of the Leonardo aphorisms in the museum had reflected on how sometimes when you’re buried in work, it helps to put a little distance between you and it. And it works.

We never met him, but Elaine and I owe Philip Barnes a great deal. Founder of the travel charity ACE (Association for Cultural Exchange) in 1958, when we Elkingtons were still living in Cyprus, he died on 27 July. The trips we did to Syria, northern Cyprus and Crete in recent years were all with ACE, and we have another coming up to Istanbul. A fantastic organisation.

Opera House 1 Opera House, 2 Opera House, 3 Opera House, 4 Opera House, 5 Opera House, 6 Opera House, 7 Opera House, 8 Opera House, 9

We have walked around – and over – the Opera House several times now, in sunshine and in the twilight. Glorious.

BI, interior Blurred shot of Elaine and Joel (Bakan), en route to our session

Met Bill McKibben today, after being blown away by his presentation on the 350 campaign. Resolved to get both Volans and SustainAbility involved, if it kills me. Then did the session at BI, the management school, with Joel Bakan, who I first met some time ago when I chaired a discussion panel at the London premiere of his film, The Corporation. Great fun.

Introducing my session, I spotlighted Jorgen Randers, who had kicked off the event, as a “dinosaur”, in the sense that 1972’s Limits to Growth study had been seminal in my evolution, a mere 37 years ago. He got an ovation. Then, to spread the insults around, I noted that Elaine and I just realised that today was our wedding anniversary – another ovation.

Last night, Joel and his wife Rebecca played guitar (him) and sang (her) at the US Embassy, where many of us had repaired for dinner. They hugely endeared themselves to me by doing one of my favourite Grace Slick/Jefferson Airplane songs.

After our Summit debate, Joel and I did a session with students. Then on to the British Embassy for a reception, where we were treated – among other things – to a rap band and a duet playing Tchaikovsky. 

Jan-Olaf at the wheel Elderly couple cut across our bow Andreas takes the wheel A sight that would once have struck terror Vikings

A second yachting venture, this time in the opposite direction, to retrieve two anchors that Jan-Olaf had lost on a previous voyage. He had called in heavy-duty help, in the shape of Odd Fellow II and a diver, who soon found the first anchor, in nine metres of water, but discovered that the second had gone at least 50 metres down, and could well be irretrievable. Later, when we got back, Elaine spotted a yacht called Volans: then she and I headed across to the Hotel Bristol, ahead of the Sustainability Summit tomorrow.

Odd Fellow II Wave on the waves Volans