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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
25 years on, the Eden Project is fighting for survival
The Icelandic poppies are popping. The cacao pods have emerged. The Japanese garden is bursting with colour. After a sunny March and a wet April, the conditions are just right for an explosive spring display at the Eden Project. But despite the flourishing scenes, the outlook isn't so rosy in the Eden Project's boardroom. A quarter of a century after opening its doors to the public, the visionary horticultural project faces its biggest challenges to date. In January 2025 the Eden Project slashed one fifth of its workforce due to declining visitor numbers and rising costs, with extreme weather patterns and ageing infrastructure bringing additional challenges for the institution. The Eden Project dream, like the global ecosystem that it champions, is more precarious than ever before. Yet the people behind it say their work has only just begun. The Eden Project will 'make science sexy'. That was the promise of the Eden Project's former marketing director, Paul Travers, when the first phase of the project opened 25 years ago, in May 2000. Those early visitors could visit the exhibition centre and take a tour of the former clay pit, a crater the size of 35 football pitches, where the project's famous bubbles – big enough to house the Tower of London – were beginning to spawn. 'This was the moment we realised it would be a bigger beast than we anticipated,' says Dan James, Eden Project's development director. 'The working assumption was that we'd attract around 650,000 visitors per year. In the first six months after the soft launch, half a million people turned up. It was completely beyond our expectations.' Meanwhile, exotic plant species from around the world had been selected and transported to a nursery on the estate. The scope of the project was colossal, costing £140 million in total. There was even a nationwide scaffolding shortage, because 230 miles of the stuff (a Guinness world record) was being used to build the Eden Project's biomes. Just four months after its Mediterranean and tropical biomes and gardens opened to the public, in March 2001, more than 800,000 visitors had passed through its doors. The Eden Project was such a success that its bosses placed adverts in West Country newspapers urging people to stay away. 'I think there was a general consensus at the time that Eden might have been one of the millennium projects most likely to fail, but I think the opposite is true,' says James. The Eden Project quickly became a symbol of Cornwall's prospering tourism industry. It has hosted some of the world's biggest musicians: Elton John, the Beach Boys, Amy Winehouse and Oasis have all played their anthemic hits to the backdrop of brightly lit domes. It marked its territory in popular culture, too. Halle Berry abseiled down one of the biomes in the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day. Ten years after opening, the Eden Project had attracted more than a million visitors per year, far exceeding all expectations and regularly ranking in the top 20 in the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) list. 'It was completely beyond our expectations,' says James. The project, nobody could deny, was proving to be a roaring success. The first cracks began to show in 2012, when the Eden Project trust revealed a deficit of £6.3 million for the year, compared to a surplus of £136,000 the previous year. They put the struggles down to poor weather, the economic downturn and the London 2012 Olympics. That year, the Eden Project reported less than a million visitors for the first time and was forced to make job cuts as a result. Malcolm Bell, the former boss at Visit Cornwall, said at the time that he wasn't surprised: 'Repeat and return business is harder for Cornwall than the likes of London. What is a 'must do' the first time, becomes a 'maybe' the second time,' he said. By 2024, the Eden Project had dropped to number 54 in the ALVA list of top tourist attractions. It reported 673,625 visits, fewer than Clumber Park in the East Midlands, with a year-on-year footfall drop of 6 per cent. That number is almost a third of the 1.8 million visitors who passed through its doors during its first year of operation. While nobody expected the project to maintain the feverish levels of interest of its early days, that still represents a drop of 66 per cent. Why so? James says that, like many tourism businesses, the Eden Project suffered greatly during the pandemic and hasn't fully recovered since. 'When visitors aren't coming to Cornwall, that's a challenge. We saw a bit of that last year. We've also got some unique challenges because of our site: we're in a hole in the ground, and that costs a lot of money to maintain,' he said, adding that worsening floods and storms have affected the site, which sits beneath the water table. With visitor numbers down so dramatically, eyes naturally turn to the price point. An adult ticket on the door is £42 and a child aged between five and 16 costs £16. For a family of four, this means a family ticket costs £116 (booked online in advance: £100). 'It's always a conversation we have at board meetings, almost on a weekly basis. When you pay to come in, that's your annual pass, meaning you can come in as many times as you want for the rest of the year. There are also discounts for locals and for people on universal credit,' says James. 'The real challenge is to keep people wanting to come back, and making Eden not just a bucket list destination but a place where you want to come on a regular basis to see how it's changing and what's going on.' As for the state of the domes, James says: 'The biomes may be 25 years old, but they still look amazing. There are bits that are fraying around the edges. Generally, it's in good nick.' Nobody can accuse the Eden Project bosses of sitting on their hands. Two years ago the project drilled three miles underground and built a geothermal energy plant which now heats its biomes, along with thousands of homes near Truro, local schools and the Royal Cornwall Hospital. The site has also moved with the times in terms of its wider offering. Over the years, new play areas, restaurants, a canopy walkway, a giant swing, a seasonal ice rink and even a zip wire have added a slice of fun to the visitor experience. What's next? The Eden Project has set its sights on growth beyond the south Cornish coast. The Eden Project North, in Morecambe, is expected to open in 2028 and there are plans in the pipeline for outposts in Dundee and Northern Ireland. Farther afield, the Eden Project has a centre in development in Qingdao, China, and proposals for an Eden Project Australia in a former coal mile in Anglesea, Victoria. 'Eden's mission, inspiring positive action for the planet, is more important now than it's ever been,' says James. 'But if we want to have a national role, we need to be more than just delivering our educational work in the bottom left-hand corner of the UK. We need a bigger reach and a bigger audience. 'The best is yet to come for Eden.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
‘My accent is very soft': Pierce Brosnan responds to criticism of MobLand accent
The Irish Independent's review of the series said Brosnan's speaking voice as Conrad was 'all over the shop and a huge distraction'. In response to criticism, Brosnan told Radio Times: 'My own accent is very soft, Conrad's accent is a million miles away from me.' He went on to explain that the inspiration for the accent was a man suggested by his dialect coach, adding: 'I told him that I needed a Kerry accent, so he gave me the name of a man and I googled the guy and that was it. 'It was a Kerry accent and so I just gave it full tilt.' In the interview, Brosnan also spoke of the mix of worry and excitement he faces when taking on new roles. The 72-year-old explained: 'Every job is a challenge and it all comes with a thump of anxiety, because you have to do something. Brosnan was speaking in an interview with Radio Times magazine (Radio Times/PA) 'What are you doing on the stage? Why are you there? So that's constant. You live with that. You live with that stress all the time, and that's what's so exhilarating. 'That's what makes you alive.' Brosnan is best known for playing James Bond from 1995 to 2002, starring in four films as 007 in GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). He has also starred in Mamma Mia! (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996) and Mrs Doubtfire (1994). Brosnan will appear in a film adaption of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club book, which is set for release in August. The full interview can be read in the latest edition of Radio Times magazine.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike recalls getting punched and mugged in London: ‘All my mother heard was a scream'
British actor Rosamund Pike recently recalled a terrifying moment from nearly 20 years ago, when she was attacked and mugged while walking through London. The Gone Girl star, during a recent interview, shared that the incident took place in 2006 during what began as a casual phone call with her mother. 'I was on the phone to my mother, on a mobile phone walking along a road, and I was mugged,' Rosamund recalled during her recent appearance on Magic Radio. The assault, Rusamund recalled, happened suddenly, with a cyclist snatching the phone from her hand mid-conversation. 'The phone was snatched, so all she (her mother) heard was me scream and a thud, and the phone went dead,' Rosamund added. The mugger didn't stop at stealing her phone — Rosamund said she was physically assaulted during the encounter. '(e) Punched me down the side of my cheek,' she recalled, describing the shocking violence that accompanied the theft. Though she admitted feeling 'angry' in the moment, the 46-year-old actor said she was acutely aware that her mother, left in the dark by the sudden end of the call, endured her own wave of fear. 'I walked to the pub and called [my mom] when I got there and met my friends. But for her, it was probably a pretty horrible 15 minutes,' she said. Rosamund, who was born in London, has since built an impressive career with roles in acclaimed films like Die Another Day (2002), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Jack Reacher (2012), Beirut (2018), and Saltburn (2023). She also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in Gone Girl (2014), opposite Hollywood star Ben Affleck. Nearly two decades after the incident, Rosamund's candid account adds a layer of personal vulnerability to the public image of the accomplished and composed actor.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Rosamund Pike punched by mugger
Rosamund Pike was punched in her face by a mugger who stole her phone. The 'Gone Girl' star was targeted by a thief on a bicycle during a "horrible" incident in London back in 2006 revealing the mugger hit her in the face and made off with her device. She had been talking to her mother on the phone at the time and Rosamund admits it was terrifying for them both. During an appearance on Magic Radio, she explained: "I was on the phone to my mother – on a mobile phone walking along a road – and I was mugged. "The phone was snatched so all she heard was me scream and a thud and the phone went dead." Rosamund walked to a nearby pub where she was meeting friends and she was able to call her mother to tell her she was alright. She added: "I just walked to the pub and called her there when I met my friends. For her, it was probably a pretty horrible 15 minutes." The actress explained the mugger was "some kid on a bicycle" who had smacked her in the face, adding: "[They] punched me down the side of my cheek and snatched my phone out of my hand." It comes after Rosamund opened up about being was asked to strip to her underwear during her 'James Bond' audition. The Hollywood actress - who played Miranda Frost opposite Pierce Brosnan in 2002 movie 'Die Another Day' - insisted while she had no issue with steamy scenes in the movie, she wasn't willing to do so before she'd landed the role. She told Harper's Bazaar UK magazine: "In the Bond audition, I was asked to unzip and drop the dress I was wearing, to just stand there in underwear. "And I thought, 'Well, no, I'll be doing that if I get the part. I won't be doing that now'." She recalled refusing the request, and added: 'I don't know what possessed me." The following year, Rosamund was cast in a production of 'Hitchcock Blonde', which required her to walk across the stage in the nude. She said: "There was a moment of, 'F***, they've given me this absolute stellar part, but it involves nudity.' "I was taken for a very considerate, you might say, lunch by the director to say, 'Are you aware of this?' ' She insisted the meeting wasn't necessary as the director "knew exactly what was on the table, which was a brilliant role in a fantastic new play".
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rosamund Pike Recalls Getting Mugged and Punched in the Face for Her Phone
Rosamund Pike is recalling a terrifying incident she experienced nearly two decades ago. The Gone Girl actress revealed during a recent interview with Magic Radio that she was attacked during a mugging incident in London. The Independent reported that it happened in 2006. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Wheel of Time' Canceled at Amazon's Prime Video After Three Seasons Son of Longtime 'Letterman' Producer Charged With Attempted Murder Man Who Crashed Through Gate of Jennifer Aniston's Bel-Air Home Charged With Stalking, Vandalism 'I was on the phone to my mother, on a mobile phone walking along a road, and I was mugged,' she recounted. 'The phone was snatched so all she heard was me scream and a thud and the phone went dead.' Pike said she was 'angry' after being left with a bruise from being punched in the face during the incident. She added that her mom also endured '15 minutes of hell' until she was able to call her back following the attack. The Independent reported that there has been a recent rise in criminals snatching mobile phones from people on the streets of London, with authorities seeing a 151 percent increase in the last year. Pike, who was born in London, has starred in dozens of projects throughout her career, including, Die Another Day (2002), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Surrogates (2009), Jack Reacher (2012), Beirut (2018), Saltburn (2023) and Hallow Road (2025). In 2015, she earned an Oscar nomination for best actress for her role in 2014's Gone Girl, opposite Ben Affleck. The actress also starred in The Wheel of Time for three seasons, before Prime Video recently announced that it had been canceled. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Pike's rep to see if she filed any charges against the suspect at the time of the mugging incident. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
