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The Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Simon Reeve: ‘Travel helps us to question who we are and where we're from – that's how we learn'
'I left a little bit of my heart in Norway,' says Simon Reeve, speaking between shows on his current UK tour. 'I think a lot of Scandinavia is proper, jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I was in a sports café by the coast in the Lofoten Islands in Norway, and I sent my family a video saying, 'I really hope we'll make it here someday,' ideally in an electric campervan. That would be my nerdy green dream,' he says. Reeve recently released the three-part series Scandinavia on BBC, which charts his journey through pockets of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and its honorary Nordic members Finland and Iceland to discover what drives the region's reputation of being so happy, organised and successful. 'I think we've been dragged into the divisions of the United States. Of course, it's interesting and there are big characters,' says Reeve. 'But if we look at areas of the world where people are happiest and the most content – it isn't the United States, it is Scandinavia. 'We met lots of great characters there who were changing lives and trying to change the world. We've stuffed it all into three programs.' Looking from the outside in, the Scandi countries seem almost utopian-like, with the levels of trust in society demonstrated through honesty shops and leaving babies outside in prams, pioneering green technology such as wind farms and carbon capture machines, and a deep connection to outdoor 'Friluftsliv' living and a love of nature. Unlike the United States, Scandinavian countries stay relatively out of the world's headlines. Yet what Reeve discovered is that the region is also full of surprises, from Finland's large investment in military at NATO's longest border with Russia, the constant threat of volcanic eruptions in Iceland, to the wave of gang violence using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Swedish suburbs. While no part of the world can claim the title of a perfect utopia, free from challenges and injustices, Reeve did encounter almost fairy-tale-like landscapes throughout his journey to the land of snow, picturesque fjords and colossal glaciers. Yet, there was one location that left him spellbound, and that was Norway. It has the second longest coastline on the planet; ludicrously jagged and broken up with thousands of tiny islands.' Cities such as Stockholm and Malmö were featured in the series, but the main focus was Scandinavia's magnificent rural vistas, which show us why so many people are be drawn to off-grid escapes over urban mini-breaks. 'Stockholm is often rated as the most beautiful city in Scandinavia, admittedly, mainly by the Swedes,' Reeve recalled himself saying during one episode. 'That was a little cheeky, because [Sweden] is gorgeous and it was breathtaking to film there. 'I'm not undermining the beauty of the cities either, but I do think that the countryside in Scandinavia is glorious. They've got much more space than we have on our crowded little islands. 'But of course, people there don't take the p*** the way people sometimes do in the UK. They don't wander about having spontaneous festivals or fires on other people's land. You can walk and camp almost anywhere in Scandinavia, which is an amazing freedom.' The lure of the Arctic has previously seen travellers head to Scandinavia for winter sports activities and adventure tourism, and Reeve explains that the region is now more accessible than ever. 'In the past, it wasn't easy to get hold of the kit you needed to visit, and the clothing wasn't as readily available either. And in truth, it is a bit cheaper now as well. Whether it's Lapland, Svalbard, or Iceland, oh my goodness, the sights you'll see, the experiences you'll have are intensely memorable, and that surely is one of the best things about travel.' Flying out into colder landscapes calls for more preparation than just throwing your swimsuit and flip-flops into your carry-on, as Reeve explains: 'Follow the advice I was given by an elderly woman selling vegetables outdoors at a market in Siberia. She said, 'You need to dress like a cabbage', that is the key to dressing for the cold.' Reeve recommends getting to know the area through a local. 'I think you always want a guide if possible. We've been taught for a while now to do things spontaneously,' says Reeve, 'which you can do, but you'll miss out on that local knowledge. It doesn't have to be horrifically expensive.' 'A lot of people want to share their area with you. We just had a guide when we were in Laos as a family, and the experience we had as a result was so much richer.' During Reeve's journey through Scandinavia, he was led by several guides, from a Sami reindeer herder in northern Sweden to a young volcanologist in Iceland, and he explains how these encounters with local communities were enriching. 'My favourite form of travel is when wealthy folk take their hard-earned money and spend it in parts of the world that need it; giving back to local communities and helping to support wilderness areas,' he adds. 'Scandinavia is an ethical place to go on a holiday, if you do it carefully. You can travel cleanly and greenly on public transport, much more so than you can in many other parts of the world. It's not guilt-free travel, that doesn't exist. But I certainly think, because they've made great strides towards becoming cleaner and greener, we can benefit from that as travellers.' While Reeve's series uncovers that not all is paradisiacal in this region, he also took a lot from the way Scandinavians live their lives. 'It made me question where I'm from, and the direction of travel that we're [the UK] on.' 'Maybe we need to take inspiration from how they're living in Scandinavia and consider how that way of life could benefit us. 'Travel helps us to question who we are and where we're from. That's how we learn.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Harrogate College redevelopment approved despite parking concerns
Plans for the £22m redevelopment of Harrogate College have been approved.A North Yorkshire Council planning committee unanimously voted in favour of the rebuild at a meeting on Tuesday, despite concerns about main college building will be demolished, with a new hub built on Hornbeam Park's business estate set to train students in green technology.A previous version of the plans was approved last year, but later quashed following a judicial review. The owner of Hornbeam Park Developments had appealed against the initial ruling on the grounds an environmental impact assessment had not been revised plans for the rebuild included a changed car park layout with spaces for 110 vehicles and a new drop-off and pick-up area with a one-way system, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Speaking ahead of the meeting, some claimed there was still a shortage of parking space linked to the Waddington, of Hornbeam Park Developments, said: "This isn't about opposing investment - we want Harrogate College to thrive and for students to be given the best further education experience to help them succeed - but these plans just don't add up."The scheme in its present form is simply madness and a waste of public funds."Speaking at the meeting, councillor Robert Windass said he had a "great deal of sympathy" for those concerned about parking. 'No perfect solution' He continued: "No matter where you want to build in the middle of an existing estate, whether it's housing or a building of this size, there's going to be some disruption."There always is, there always has been."Councillor Monika Slater said: "There isn't a perfect solution, but the measures the college is proposing to put in place seem really, really comprehensive and well thought out."Funding of £20m has been secured from the Department for Education for the redevelopment, with a further £2m provided by college operators the Luminate Education after the meeting, Danny Wild, Harrogate College's principal, said: "The new campus will enable increased breadth and quality within the curriculum on offer at the college, allowing us to better support local and regional skills needs."As the only general further education college in the area, I'm excited to see the benefits these new facilities will bring local young people, adults and the economy."Construction work is due to begin in the coming months, with the new buildings set to open during the 2026 academic year. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Xinhua Silk Road: 2025 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum highlights ports green, intelligent dev't
BEIJING, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2025 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum opened Tuesday in port city of Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, bringing senior port executives, industry experts, and scholars from more than 40 countries and regions. Themed "Go Green, Go Intelligent", the forum aimed to explore ways to advance low-carbon development through green technologies, enhance supply chain resilience via digital connectivity, and strengthen international cooperation amid multiple global challenges. Eyeing high-quality development of port shipping industry, He Jianzhong, president of China Institute of Navigation said in his speech that the port shipping industry should promote sustainable development through green practices, drive industrial transformation and upgrading via digital and intelligent innovation, and facilitate industry integrated development by enhancing connectivity. Based on global practice, Anne-Sophie Zerlang Karlsen, head of Maersk's Asia-Pacific operations, shared that in recent years, the Danish shipping giant has leveraged big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct real-time analysis of massive data, which has reduced costs and energy consumption, enhanced the capability for on-time cargo delivery, and boosted the overall efficiency of the supply chain. For Chinese practice, the Ningbo Zhoushan Port, the world's largest port in terms of annual cargo throughput and the third-largest in annual container throughput, is actively exploring the port's transformation with three major systems featuring net-zero emissions, digital intelligence operation and full logistics services to inject impetus to global port shipping industry, said Tao Chengbo, chairman of Zhejiang Seaport Group and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group. Jens Meier, president of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and CEO of Hamburg Port Authority, emphasized the importance of global cooperation via the forum as a key platform, which enables global stakeholders to work hand in hand and address common challenges. This year's forum has witnessed the release of consensus documents and several reports. Besides, concrete agreements were signed between Ningbo Zhoushan Port and Germany's Hamburg Port, Wilhelmshaven Port and Spain's Valencia Port. Side events included six thematic forums focusing on a few sub-sectors, such as full logistics, smart shipping, port-city integration, and navigation safety. Original link: SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
XCMG Opens 7th XCMG International Customer Festival, Strengthening Collaboration with Global Partners
XUZHOU, China, May 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- XCMG Machinery ("XCMG", SHE: 000425) has successfully hosted the 7th XCMG International Customer Festival (the "Festival") from May 20 to 23 in Xuzhou, China. More than 2,000 customers from over 80 countries and regions as well as 60 journalists from both home and abroad gathered in Xuzhou, China, to celebrate and witness the largest edition of the Festival to date. Yang Dongsheng, chairman of XCMG Group and XCMG Machinery, expressed his gratitude and respect to the partners from all over the world. "As the old saying goes, 'Nothing, not even mountains and seas, can separate people with common goals and ideals.' Every breakthrough and leap forward in XCMG's globalization journey is full of the trust and entrustment of our global customers; it's the cohesion of everyone's wisdom and contribution and a chapter of the times we grow together." XCMG lined up 16 top-selling cranes, which heralded the beginning of a new journey with global partners. 2,500 drones drew the "SOLID TO SUCCEED" manifesto with the night sky as canvas, mapping the blueprint for building a greener future for all during its opening ceremony. XCMG also showcased groundbreaking products and green technologies, including the pure electric unmanned excavator XE215E and electric loader XC968-EV, both utilize XCMG's self-developed algorithms and AI models and are equipped with multi-line LIDAR, cameras and deep learning computing units that are extensively configured in the intelligent equipment to achieve truck positioning, path planning and accurate loading. At the opening ceremony, Yang Dongsheng presented six golden keys to deliver a batch of high-end hoisting machinery, intelligent and digital mining and road equipment. The interactive experience zone with 12 programs of the Festival was set up close to the actual working conditions of customer experience projects, including excavating machinery, road machinery, shoveling machinery, truck-mounted cranes, fire trucks and the city's operating platforms. Rooted in more than 190 countries and regions, XCMG, as a leading construction machinery brand, has made remarkable achievements in product technology, intelligent manufacturing, brand building, international market development and more. Against the backdrop of profound changes in the current global economic landscape and accelerated restructuring of the industrial chain and supply chain, XCMG is actively responding to the challenges and grasping opportunities, showing strong resilience and vitality in development. Li Qi, vice president of China Machinery Industry Federation, noted in his speech that XCMG has set a benchmark for the transformation and upgrading of the construction machinery industry. "We hope that XCMG will continue to play a leading role in the industry, strengthen in-depth cooperation with global partners, and make greater contributions to the development of the global construction machinery industry," said Li Qi. From the Simandou iron mine in Guinea to the Future City in Saudi Arabia, from the wind farms in Europe to mines in Indonesia, XCMG is committed to responding accurately to the market demand, and each solution originates from the in-depth insight into the local regulations, standards and operating habits, constantly breaking through the boundaries of the construction machinery to build a future of shared success. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE XCMG Machinery Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wolverhampton and Staffordshire growth zone plan for 15,000 jobs
A planned enterprise zone in Wolverhampton and south Staffordshire specialising in advanced manufacturing and green technology could create nearly 15,000 jobs, councils is hoped the scheme - being developed by three local authorities – will bring almost £600m to the of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and South Staffordshire Council said The Central Edge "economic growth zone" would expand on the existing i54 business park on the Wolverhampton/Staffordshire scheme also has involvement from 12 universities in the Midlands region. It is due to consist of Wolverhampton's Green Innovation Corridor (GIC) as well as advanced manufacturing locations in south Chris Burden, from City of Wolverhampton Council, said Central Edge would be "a transformational economic growth zone"."It is a once-in-a-generation proposition building on the success of the UK's most successful enterprise zone, i54," he Murray, Staffordshire County Council's new deputy leader said growing the local economy and creating good jobs was a key priority for the new said the new zone would include 16.4m sq ft (1.5 sq m) of development land, a possible £582m in gross value added and the creation of 14,700 would also help provide access to 155,000 science, technology, engineering and maths courses within an hour of Wolverhampton, they added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
