Search Results for: Tim elkington

   

Finally realised a childhood dream of making my way up Maiden Castle.  We walked around the ramparts in a haze, but the experience was spellbinding.  Several times we bumped into a delightful couple, once by the pit that held a series of much-the-worse-for-wear skeletons that Sir Mortimer Wheeler dubbed long-ago war victims.  Whatever the truth, there was a sense of generations of lives lived out here, through thick and thin, and the spearpoint found in one spine was graphic evidence of the distress caused by the Romans turning up in the neighbourhood.  In the distance, Poundbury shimmered through the haze, like something out of that old TV series, The Prisoner.

    Elaine on ramparts   Elaine on path down

Rocking horse   Capably done

A while back, I bumped into Alastair Sawday when I spoke at an event organised by Tomorrow’s Company, and tahnked him for his extraordinary guides – which Elaine has used for years.  Yesterday, we arrived at Frampton House, which was another Sawday treasure, landscaped by no less than Capability Brown.  Wonderfully sunny when we arrived yesterday afternoon, en route to Musbury, but pouring down at times as we got ready to leave this morning – after a wonderful breakfast. 

Brindled   Chien gentil   Indian balsam

I’d be happy for my ashes to find their way up here

Arrived late afternoon at another Sawday find, Manor Barn in Child Okeford, which Elaine had chosen in large part because it looks out onto Hambledon Hill, the extraordinary hill fort where I spent many charmed days during my time at Bryanston, just down the road.  A sloping window allowed a star to peep in as I went to sleep – but that was after we had walked to the top of kestrel-accented Hambledon, in the gathering twilight, taking in the breath-taking views, that are almost 360 degrees,and has supper at the nearby Talbot. 

Ramparts   Elaine on the way down

Andrea and Barry Coleman   Pamela and Charmian

 

Day started with a brainstorm session at SustainAbility on the future of our accountability, reporting and stakeholder engagement work – a timely and vibrant discussion.  Then, after drafting an article or two, walked across to Volans for a session with Andrea and Barry Coleman of Riders for Health.  They updated our team on some of the stuff they are now doing and on their plans for the future.  I really love what they do – and it was interesting that at last night’s dinner someone from a major mainstream organisation waxed lyrical about them, without initially knowing that we knew them. 

A fairly energetic day, starting with a train trip down to Newdigate for a meeting of the Trustees of the Environment Foundation, hosted by (Sir) Geoffrey Chandler.  Others there were Malcolm Aickin, Ian Christie, John Lotherington (of the 21st Century Trust), Tim O’Donovan and Halina Ward.  A key decision was to push forward with the theme of ‘Democracy & Sustainability’.  Geoffrey’s wife Lucy and their dog Pickles ducked in and out during the day, as did a Great Spotted Woodpecker.  

Later, Tim drove me across  to Dorking station for the trip back to London, where I met Elaine in Berkeley Square, before heading to the Lansdowne Club, to meet Melody Haller (who I first encountered at a Wall Street Journal conference in Santa Barbara, California) earlier this year, and her husband Michael (Tyler).  A fascinating group of people, working in areas as diverse as advanced silicon technologies and neuroscience. 

I have always had antibodies to the world of clubs, but was fascimated when Michael noted that Britain had conceded independence to the United States in the Treaty of Paris, drawn up with Benjamin Franklin in this building’s Round Room.  Sadly, we were all too busy talking to take up his offer of a guided tour. 

Malcolm and Foundation files dating back to the Year Dot   Halina and Pickles   Some Chandler trees Posted at 11:45:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 27 August 2008 by John Elkington. Digg | Permalink

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