It may sound like a bad joke but this was the team's impression of Falmouth in a nutshell! Most obvious in the seaside town were the pensioners, young at heart, pottering about the pier or gossiping on benches. A builder photographed by Hussain, proudly posing with his arms crossed, formed an interesting reference point with Saudi where the vast majority of labourers are immigrants and there is generally no pride taken by Saudis in such jobs.

Having been taken on a tour of UCF and round Falmouth by lecturers of the university, the team were encouraged to photograph whatever moved them about the town and then presented their work to the group at the end of the day. 

There doesn’t seem to be much that Robin Hanbury-Tenison hasn’t done. At a very long but convivial tea-table in the still and serene garden of Cabilla Manor, overlooking a vista of different greens, Robin told tales of his travels and our team poured tea and ate doughnuts.

On answering a question regarding what advice he could give to our young team, he answered immediately and expansively.

The great civilisations of the world have come and gone - Mayan, Gandharan, Phoenician, Hellenic - in various, though often large, regions of the world.

For the first time in human history, the entire globe has become inextricably linked. As history must repeat itself through inevitable cycles with some superficial variation, if we look towards the future of our shared planet there is something that requires our immediate attention. Though I hesitate in calling it a global ‘civilisation,’ the current US/European dominance over global matters political, economic and social, could eventually be catastrophic for not just one society or people or region, but for the entire world.  

Robin answered, ‘be  worried,’ and I paraphrase: look forward, and never neglect to think about the world your children, grand-children and great-grandchildren will have to live in. We are all guardians. 

The team roam around an old clay pit turned into Eden - janna - and come up with interesting but varied opinions about the place. Some thought it to be a unique and inspirational place; others thought it to be unnatural and a bad example of sustainability due to the geography and journey times of visitors.. an interesting debate!

Following general exhaustion and local news from a visiting workman, we scrapped the original plan of the hike and instead trundled into Mousehole village for the Rowing Regatta and Vintage Car Rally. If the team wanted to experience England, this was it.

Locals and tourists milled about the harbour , ice creams and raffle tickets were sold, and the silver band played under overcast skies while a gaggle of wrapped-up organisers sat on top of the sea wall and shouted instructions to the waiting boats in the harbour and bay.

We got into the swing of things by balancing on the sea wall and cheering on our individual favourites, before heading back for a barbecue in the garden.