Originally, all scholars were to meet in front of the hotel at 8:15 where we would be joined by Fulbright staff. However, the plans changed at the last minute, and we were to make our own way to Paddington station by 9:30. It still required my meeting in front of the hotel -- and even earlier -- at 7:45 -- to rendezvous with Lisa Burgess and her son Wilem. Securing journey travels for Lisa's son required we find an Internet kiosk somewhere that had a printer prior to making our way to Paddington. We decided to forego the hotel buffet breakfast and purchase food from the market next to the hotel. Since the Jubilee line was not operating to full capacity, we took the Waterloo line and changed to the Paddington line. At Paddington, we had a few minutes to buy lunch from Sainsbury's M & S (grocery) which had a £3 sandwich, chips, and drink deal. Since the train ride to Cornwall was approximately four hours + in duration, I made sure to purchase snacks as well! Our train departed from Paddington station at 10:06 for St. Austell station (Cornwall).
The train ride was quite nice and the time went quickly. One scholar had brought a banjo with him and soon a small number of scholars began singing songs. After much begging, one of our scholars (Ari) rapped in Yiddish. By 2:00, we arrived in St Austell where we were met by a coach to store our bags for the day.
By 2:30, the coach arrived at the Eden Project in Bodelva Cornwall. The Eden Project is an extremely popular visitor attraction in Cornwall, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artifical biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world. The domes consist of hundreds of hexagonal and pentagonal, inflated, plastic cells supported by steel frames. The first dome emulates a tropical environment and the second a Mediterranean environment. For you James Bond fans, the domes were used as a filming location for the 2002 James Bond film "Die Another Day". The project took 2 1/2 years to construct and opened to the public on March 17, 2001.
Welcome and introductions to Eden was provided by Tim Smit, Chief Executive and Co-founder of the Eden Project. By 3:00 p.m. we were given tours of the site, including the Rainforest Biome Viewing Platform. It is an aerial platform at the top of the 165-foot-high Rainforest Biome – which is taller than the Tower of London. The climb up to the Lookout gives you a unique bird’s eye view of the biggest greenhouse in the world. From the platform you can see the tops of giant trees such as kapok and balsa which have nearly reached the biome ceilin and may even catch a glimpse of our resident wildlife such as tree frogs and tiny birds known as Sulawesi White Eyes. Some scholars decided to forego this part of the tour given their fear of heights. Personally, I could have stayed up there for hours!
By 5:30, we departed the Eden Project and arrived an hour later at Penvento Park Hotel, Redruth, Cornwall where we had a few minutes to quickly check in to our rooms and freshen up for dinner. By 7:30 we met in front of the hotel and made our way on foot to the Melting Pot Cafe, at the Krowji Centre. Dinner was served at 8:00 at the Melting Pot Cafe, originally the Old Grammar School. After evening drinks, and buffet Indian dishes of chicken curry and leek soup, we had a brief presentation from Dott Cornwall.
Krowji is Cornwall's biggest creative sector cluster, providing studios, workspaces, offices, a cafe, meeting rooms and othe rfacilities for a wide range of creative businesses at the Old Grammar School Buildingsin Redruth. It's home to a virbant creative community which courrnelty includes painters, jewellers, furniture makers, ceramicists, textile artists, web designers, theatre companies and musicians as well as several of Cornwall's main sector support agencies such asn Creative Skills and the County Council's Creative Unit.
Dott stands for Designs of the Time. They believe great design can make a positive difference and create a more sustainable, inclusive society. They apply creative thinking , developing innovative design solutions and making change happen. Their projects are doing the things that really matter for people l-- ike breathing new life into deprived areas, improving public transport options and co-designing a low carbon economy.
Dott Cornwall is part of a program of events developed by the Design Council, driving design-led solutions to economic and social challenges throught the UK. The Design Council, Cornwall Council, University College Falmouth and Technology Strategy Board have partnered to deliver the Dott program throughout Cornwall and the Isles of Sicily during 2010. Throughout this whole Fulbright Forum, wherever we go and whomever we speak to, the theme is "regeneration and legacy" -- this is yet one more example of people and communities coming together to repair, revive, and redevelop areas that are depressed.
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