Please go to http://www.dartingtoncarillon.org to read more about this project.
Dartington Carillon A Journey of Discovery
In March 1998 I was sitting in a vast empty shed in Totnes with Pete Goss and a few colleagues, with very little money, we where about to embark on a journey to design and build the largest carbon fibre yacht in Europe. Pete’s slogan was “Dare to Dream” I was to be responsible for designing and building the masts. Two years later the yacht was launched but abandoned in bad weather on its way to the start of the race.
As a project to participate in a yacht race it was clearly a huge failure, but judged with different criteria, it was the most successful project I have ever been involved with.
Daring to Dream an inspirational and challenging project had a life changing effect on all those involved. The intention to do it was all that was needed to make it happen. Taking unskilled people off the streets of Totnes and have them produce the largest piece of composite engineering outside the space shuttle is the achievement they will always own.
In the process new skills where learnt, hidden talents discovered, new confidence found, hearts grew bigger and a new future could be imagined.
With free access to the project the local community had an open door through which they could become involved, be included in the excitement and challenge, and take ownership of the thing now being created in their midst, supporting and encouraging us through the hard times and failures, rejoicing in the success’s and achievements.
The story is the journey we all took, not the finished boat, but the people we had become.
I want to take that journey again, to meet new companions along the way, to achieve more together than we can alone, to become greater than we thought we were, to be inspired to create something together that will last a thousand years.
The Dartington Carillon is that project.
