OUR PROJECTS
OUR MARIGOLD PROJECT BY TERESA GOLDEN
1 February 2008
About five years ago, after an evening swim, I was standing at the end of Eastney beach looking through the barbed wire at the land behind the fences. A flash of colour had caught my eye. There was a vibrant goldenrod flower growing amidst the debris and rubble. I felt a pang of sadness at the waste of this land as I gazed at the red gold plant. The old name of the place is Fraser Range. ‘Fears’, ‘rage’ and ‘anger’ are words existing in the letters of this name. Rage and anger arise from fear. Where there is fear love cannot be. Where there is no fear, there is love.
I cycled home, musing about the land, the flower and my response. I had an idea. What if we could remove the barbed wire fences, obsolete rubbish and mess? What if we could create something else? In my mind’s eye, I saw a place of beauty, peace and order called Our Golden Earth. The word ‘earth’ is an anagram of ‘heart’.
The idea incubated for about three years. Then, two years ago, I told the founder of Wayfinder Associates, Carolyn Barber, about my dream. After speaking with her, I drew my original idea, in rough, on a length of plain wallpaper and called it Our Goldenrod Project. She arranged a meeting with one of Portsmouth’s senior city planning officers. I bought a sketchpad and inks and drew a detailed plan of my vision. After looking at my plan, he suggested that we contact Fort Cumberland, the area next to the site, through English Heritage, and Natural England the conservationists. I was advised by him to alter my plan to allow space for the rare birds breeding on the land. Carolyn organised a meeting at Fort Cumberland with two managing archaeologists who encouraged us to proceed.
I painted a third plan.
In the summer of 2006, I discovered goldenrod is a spike-like golden yellow flower and grows on a bush. The inspiration for my vision, on the partially derelict site, had been poker shaped and growing up out of the ground; I had been mistaken over the flower’s name. What I had seen was, in fact, a cobra torch lily.
At this point, I realised that Goldenrod was no longer an authentic name for the project because the name had to have integrity: it had to have a true association with Eastney beach. Cobra Torch Lily was not an option for the name of the project name, either, because I knew the name had to have the word ‘gold’ in it. For a while, our project had no name.
Late one afternoon, in December of 2006, I had been walking on the beach. It was time to go home. I turned to my right and had taken a step in the direction of my bicycle when my body stopped and stood still. I had the urge to walk, to my left, back up the beach. In the cold, crisp twilight, I did so. Then my body stopped, again. I looked down at my feet and saw a clump of marigolds. I was surprised and delighted to see the bright, orange flowers “smiling up” at me! I could hardly believe them- marigolds in full bloom in winter and growing out of the pebbles! Then, I realised that I had been gifted with the perfect new name for our project: Our Marigold Project.
OUR GOLDEN EARTH
Now expand your imagination. There is a spacious, graceful, sustainable development for new energy commerce, education, leisure and living, at the Eastern end of Portsmouth’s Eastney Beach, called Our Golden Earth.
Along with the state-of-the-art conference centre and the fabulous theatre, there is an excellent restaurant and a luxury hotel. You may stretch and tone in the bespoke yoga studio with its open-air pavilion, relax in the superb spa centre and enjoy the saltwater, outdoor, heated swimming pool. The magnificent fire pit offers an opportunity for warmth and friendship and there are fun, social gatherings at the great beach bars. The landscaped gardens are serene and inviting. The views are wonderful and there is access to the facilities from the sea and the air.
