A giant rock has stopped-off in Swansea before embarking on a journey that will end on the border between the USA and Canada.
The Preseli bluestone has been delivered to the entrance of Swansea Council’s Botanical Gardens at Singleton and will eventually find a permanent home at the International Peace Garden nestled between North Dakota and Manitoba.
The bluestone comes in response to an invitation received on the day of the Royal Wedding last summer for a rock to represent Great Britain at the garden.
Bluestone is at the heart of Stonehenge and the rock has been picked as a symbol of Britain’s birthstone. It’s been donated by Preseli Bluestone of Pembrokeshire and will travel around the UK before making its way to the International Peace Garden.
The garden is devoted to world peace and is made up of over 2,000 acres.
The British rock will join other rocks from across the world at the Peace Garden in 2013.
A group called the Friendship Circle is helping co-ordinate the rock’s journey across the UK and its eventual journey to North America.
Graham Burgess, of the Friendship Circle, said: “Wherever you stand, beneath you is rock and this is one of the things we all share in common across the world. But the other is human friendship.
“You can be any age and any religion or race and it doesn’t matter because the common denominator of friendship is universal.
“One of the reasons Singleton was chosen as the first place for the rock to stop is that the rock is from Wales and we want the Welsh people to touch the rock first.”
The rock will eventually have a central spot on the 49th parallel dividing the USA and Canada as part of a Friendship Circle made up of rocks from all over the world.
Cllr Graham Thomas, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said: “The International Peace Garden attracts thousands of visitors every year and the message it conveys is particularly apt in light of ongoing conflicts across the world.
“The delivery of the rock chosen to represent Britain to Swansea will allow local people to be the first to see it before it makes its trip across Britain on its way to North America.”
The rock will stand at the entrance to Singleton’s Botanical Gardens until at least the end of January.
Have a look at http://www.peacegarden.com for more information.
