The Falkirk wheel

The Falkirk wheel is a construction which lifts boats and barges 25 meters vertically through an ingenius and yet simple construction.

It is also a Metasaga station, and has been used by Lesley Wilson on a number of occations. I met Lesley at a network meeting in Tönsberg, Norway in April 2008. I told about the Metafari project. She liked the idea, went back to Scotland and told it to Kate Coutts. Kate is a school leader from Unst in the Shetland Islands. Kate liked it so much that she tested the idea on a beach in Unst in 2008. She reframed it to be Metasaga. Kate and I collaborated through this blog, and you find her initial Metasagas here: metafari.blogspot.com/search/label/Metasaga

To this date, Kate and I have not met or even talked to each other. Since I first got in touch with Kate I have wanted to go here to be inspired of the work that has been done with Metasaga in Scotland, Orkney and Shetlan.

And now the opportunity has come. So today I am meeting with Lesley Wilson here at the Falkirk wheel for a conversation and to do a Metasaga experience here in Falkirk.

I am now also starting a picture journey. You can see it grow here below as new images are added day for day.

Kate Coutts has described the Metasaga this way:

"Metasaga is a journey thorugh the culture, heritage and physical landscape. It is like a philosophical treasure hunt, but at the same time it helps you to discover yourself. It helps leaders at all levels reframe their thinking using metaphor, narrative, tradition and artifacts found in their own physical environment. It combines the business techniques of non-directive coaching, dialogue and appreciative inquiry with the traditional storytelling teaching of our culture, the Norse saga.

(if you click on the slideshow below you can enlarge the images and also control speed)