Transition Culture

An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent

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I no longer blog on this site. You can now find me, my general blogs, and the work I am doing researching my forthcoming book on imagination, on my new blog.


22 Sep 2009

Filming with Michael Portillo in Totnes

portillo2Michael Portillo passed through Totnes yesterday, filming part of his upcoming series of ‘Great British Rail Journeys’, which follows in the footsteps of George Bradshaw, the Victorian travel writer, who visited the town in the late 1800s.  Portillo’s trip, which began in Swindon, took him to Dartmouth, then up the River Dart to Totnes, from whence he will head further west, ending up in St. Ives.  A taste of Totnes was laid on for him, meeting and interviewing me, initially in Totnes High Street (where the level of interest and fascination was such that another location was quickly chosen), and then in St. Mary’s churchyard.  We talked about TTT and the Totnes Pound, and then Michael and the film crew headed off to buy and then spend some Totnes Pounds, and get ferried back to the station by Pete Ryland of the Totnes Rickshaw Company, in one of the town’s biodiesel-powered rickshaws.

portillo1One funny thing happened while we were waiting for filming to start.  I was stood chatting with his researcher, and I gave her a copy of Transition Handbook to give to him.  As we were talking, a somewhat gruff elderly gentleman who was passing by stopped and looked over his shoulder.  “What’s the name of that book?” he said.  She showed him, and he said “I have something to say, but carry on”.  We continued our conversation with him standing right next to us, following the conversation, clearly with something important to say.  It made me feel very nervous, expecting him to say, “let me tell you young lady, this Transition thing is all a load of old rubbish”, and to launch into some great tirade about what a malign influence TTT is on the town.  Eventually we finished our conversation, and she turned to him and asked him what it was he wanted to ask.

portillo3“I’m from Braidwood, New South Wales in Australia”, he said, “I am part of the steering group of Transition Braidwood, can you tell me where the TTT office is please?”  Instantly from making a potentially dreadful impression, instantly she had a sense of the scale of interest being generated in other places, and how people visit the place because of its Transition status!  ‘Great British Rail Journeys’ is due to air January/February next year.

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7 Comments

Jane
22 Sep 2:32pm

How wonderful was that… the Braidwood visit!

Peace n Love
22 Sep 3:31pm

I hope you took the time to challenge Portillo on his outrageous executive directorship (now ceased) of BAe systems (think jets sold to Indonesia) and also his seat on the board of the much maligned oil and gas prospectors Kerr-McGee who have been prosecuted for various pollution violations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Portillo#Business_interests

Rob
22 Sep 4:04pm

Er, no.

Steve Atkins
22 Sep 4:37pm

Did Michael’s convey his thoughts on Transition?

Rob
22 Sep 5:15pm

Not really.. it was all very professional, TV presenter style, but friendly enough, and hopefully the day here was stimulating…

Wayne
23 Sep 8:04am

Always rely on an Ozzie to have something positive to contribute!!! Great stuff Rob.

Wayne
Transition Tasmania(Oz)Network

Gordon
27 Sep 10:16pm

Just linked to your webpage after hearing about Totnes at a Reforesting Scotland Gathering in Argyll. Interesting to see what lessons we can use back in Stirling.