On 15 Dec 2003 08:40:57 -0800, (Philip)
wrote:

Interesting development .... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3318617.stm

I just got back from (another) meeting of volunteers.

The critical news is that there are plans for a demonstration this
Friday at the Carol service in tht Gardens, so if you can come and
would like to show support please please do come along. The Carol
service is this Friday, at 6pm (the speaker said 6:30 pm for 7pm, but
the poster definitely says 6pm). The demonstration will be something
like linking hands around the great glasshouse, possibly holding
candles or something similarly soppy but photogenic, so if you can
bring candles and matches or a flashlight that might be a good idea.

There now probably *will* be a newsletter in the next week or so, but
as we're a bit rushed getting pieces written for it I can't guess what
will be in it or even how it will be distributed.

Rhodri Clwyd-Griffiths was at the meeting - he's one of the trustees
(I think) and was giving the official party line. He said pretty much
the same thing as is reported in the BBC article Philip mentioned
above:
- there is a potential rescue deal in discussion
- he absolutely cannot discuss it
- it is not Prince Charles
- it is taking a lot of work. He looked very tired, I must say.
- no he reall canNOT discuss it, even though he would like to.

The trustees have not resigned (yet - apparently they had offered to
do so as far back as the first rescue plan rejected by Alan Pugh) and
the accountants have not yet taken over administration, although they
are there advising and presumably ready to take over if the Gardens go
into administration or liquidation.

The gardens will definitely be staying open all this week, and will be
open on Saturday. I gathered that they will also be open on Sunday,
but I cannot recall now if that was stated or if I assumed it.
Decisions on this mystery rescue package will have to have been made
by Friday, so we will hear an official statement then at the latest.

Rhodri C-G was doing his best to stick to solving problems rather than
placing blame, but he did let slip one or two interesting bits of
gossip.
These are unofficial, and filtered through my recollection, so please
don't blame him for any inaccuracies:
- the famous letter to the Gardens from Alan Pugh, the one available
on the Assembly website, informing them that he was turning down the
rescue plan, first reached the Gardens from the BBC. They did get
their copy a quarter of an hour or so later, but it had obvioulsy been
released to the press first.
- the announcement was also neatly timed to fall on the last day of
the Assembly is open before Christmas, preventing any real dialogue
from occurring before the Gardens would normally have to close.
- Pr Terry Stevens, who co-authored the scathing report from the Wales
Tourist board, also helped put together the original business plan for
the Gardens. Crucially, he was responsible for all the projected
visitor numbers, which I gather he then slated in his most recent
damning report. I also gathered that the WTB report started out by
claiming that the authors had no previous connection with the Gardens,
which is hardly true as he worked with them for 2 to 3 years. If
anyone knows where to see a copy of that latest report, I'd love to
know if this is true, for my own curiosity.
- The original business plan explicitly stated that the Gardens would
need a lot of public money in the early years - like every other
national institution. It is only once they are mature that they are
supposed to be self-financing (unlike any other National Botanic
Garden).
- REALLY reading between the lines now, I got the impression that the
Trustees are royally ****ed at the spin coming from Cardiff that is
trying to keep the Gardens portrayed as first, foremost and only a
tourist attraction. In fact a National Botanic Garden is a lot more
than that, it is also a cultural, educational, scientific and
(naturally) horticultural centre.
- The rescue plan put to Alan Pugh had the full support of the
Millenium Comission and the banks, reputedly, and the Trustees were
very surprised to have it blackballed at that late stage.


Anyway, some unsupported gossip and some hard facts - hope they are of
interest to some people here.