Adrian Roche, manager of Kelmarna Gardens, was gobsmacked last month when world-renowned broadcaster and environmentalist Sir David Attenborough strolled into the gardens with his long-time friend and Kelmarna Trustee, Michael Graham-Stewart.
Sir David Attenborough has inspired generations of people to love nature.
Attenborough is on a world speaking tour, even though he is now over 90 years old. “He’s as sharp as a tack,” Adrian said, and this was confirmed by friends who attended his interview in the Civic last week. Shirley and daughter Maddie are lifelong fans of Sir David. They were thrilled to be in his presence. “He is extraordinary,” Shirley enthused. “He shuffled out on stage, and his passion, enthusiasm and obsession with his work shone through every pore of his 90-year
-old body. Maddie cried.” Shirley told us the crowd gave him a standing ovation before he had uttered a word.
Michael took up the story. “David has been such a huge influence on television since the 50s,” he informed us. “The Civic event included iconic film clips of the early days. More recently television has become so commercialised, but David loves what he does and has no plans to retire.”
Michael also told us that Attenborough does not deal with politics full on. He prefers to show the world as it is, wonderful, and allow listeners to draw their own
environmental conclusions.
Sir David was staggered to see the lovely Kelmarna Gardens in the middle of a concrete jungle, with birds, butterflies, and a natural, rather than manicured, environment.
Adrian said he was mild mannered and modest, and despite a slight hearing problem and wonky knees, 100% mentally "with it".
Michael told us Sir David has a lovely garden at his home of 60 years in Richmond, England. He is in demand all over the planet. Obama went to see him, but although he is off to the United States soon, he’s not been saying kind things about Obama’s successor.
His friend Michael says Sir David Attenborough is an ordinary guy who has done extraordinary things and has become public property, which is not easy for anyone, let alone a 90-year-old to handle. But he is eternally cheerful and polite, and keen to keep working as long as he can. No one at the BBC is likely to challenge him. (JOHN ELLIOTT)
www.kelmarnagardens.nz