Communing With the Campbells – Back Home
Return Home Henley Herald from Anthony Campbell on Vimeo.
After 10 months exploring community around the world we are back in our wonderful home town of Henley-on-Thames. It’s been an emotional and all consuming return. Our return has coincided with both Regatta and Festival so it’s been more than a little frantic. It’s been wonderful meeting up with friends and family but also incredibly emotional because 2 days after our return to Henley Katie’s Grandfather passed away. Katie was able to say her last goodbyes and it felt like Granche (as he was known by us all) had held on for her return. The funeral was at St Mary’s church in the town centre, the very church that Katie and I where married in 10 years ago almost to the day. So it’s been a whirlwind of emotions and logistics and we’re slowly beginning to find our feet once again.
There is so much to process off the back of this adventure that it’s very difficult to know exactly where to start. I think our headline findings are that our instincts before the adventure began have been proven correct. There is a better more collaborative way to live that is kinder to the planet and to ourselves. We now have evidence to back up that belief and I’m so excited to pull this together into a compelling narrative over the course of the next few months.
The other headline I’d like to focus on is just how much this adventure has restored my faith in the inherent kindness and generosity of human beings. We received hospitality all around the world from people we had never met before. We were supported by a virtual community of interested sponsors via Patreon. We had a local business in the shape of the wonderful Children Shop supporting us. And of course we’ve had the Henley Herald and all you lovely readers.
This adventure has felt much bigger than us. I guess that’s because it is much bigger than us. The ambition off the back of our findings is to create the most technologically advanced, eco friendly, regenerative intentional community in the UK. It’s wildly ambitious but my firm belief is that we need to be wildly ambitious to deal with the immense problems we all have to face. The last 10 months have taught us that nothing is impossible. That where there’s a will there’s a way. In many way’s it feels like our adventure is only just beginning.
The Campbells
