Getting windy at the Opera
Glyndebourne Opera House, one of the most prestigious venues for the artform in the world, has been given the go-ahead to install a wind turbine to generate its own power. The decision has come after a public enquiry, protests from various groups like the Campaign to Protect Rural England and much wrangling over whether the wind turbine would be detrimental to the beauty of the South Downs.
I’m pleased that they’ve been given the go-ahead, as I’m a big fan of wind turbines. Not only do they represent a step towards a more sustainable method of energy production (England is, after all, quite windy) but they are also things of beauty. The first time I went to Cornwall, they were just starting to construct a wind farm on the road to Camelford and it was fascinating to see the huge blades lying on the ground like some weird, grounded bird. Then further on, at Delabole, a fully built windfarm - which also now has an information centre that is well worth a visit - that I would visit for hours at a time just to feel the peace and serenity of these mighty things moving in the wind. For me, it’s a form of meditation to go and sit close to a wind turbine and just watch the blades spin; time stands still and the cares and troubles of the world fall away. An unknown amount of time you come back to yourself and you feel renewed.
Which is why I can’t understand all those people who object to them, saying they’re noisy and ugly and not suitable for siting in areas of natural beauty. The Cornish countryside is amongst the most beautiful and striking in England - much more so than the South Downs - yet the wind turbines are not a blight on the landscape. They enhance it, they add to the beauty. And they serve a useful function at the same time.
Wolfs Stuff
Wolfs Helpers
-
