Meet UK Executive Lead Amanda Lumley
PLYMOUTH – The number 400 doesn’t only reference a celebration of the Pilgrim Separatists’ landing on Plymouth soil four centuries ago.
It was more than 400 years prior to that landing that the English barons rose up against King John at Runnymede, in 1215, demanding a brand of liberty and freedom that would inspire the American Constitution in 1787.
We drive on the right side of the road, switch hands while eating, call jeans and slacks “pants” (pants are underwear in England) and pronounce schedule “skejual,” (not “shejual”).
But America’s origins and ideas of liberty are, in fact, decidedly English.
Mayflower 400 Executive Lead Amanda Lumley is excited about this ongoing relationship between England and America and what that can mean for the 400th anniversary celebration in both Plymouth, England and Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Mayflower 400 is the UK equivalent of Plymouth 400 here, the nonprofit organization headed by Executive Director Michele Pecararo, that is planning for the town’s 400th anniversary in 2020. Lumley and other experts have zeroed in on Plymouth, UK, requesting and receiving millions of pounds for its 400th anniversary of the iconic Mayflower journey.
Interestingly, the Mayflower has become a metaphor for democracy as it exported English ideas of a government of representatives, which, in turn, owe much to Rome.
Plymouth 400 and Mayflower 400 are working together to combine and collaborate on this historic milestone looming just four years away. The plans are ambitious and draw from years of effort on both sides of the Atlantic.
“If this ship hadn’t sailed, you’d have been a very different nation,” Lumley said. “Who knows what America would be like today.”
And, while the Revolutionary War highlighted the clash between the countries, Lumley noted that many more instances of friendship and genuine concern have come to define the relationship today. She noted that during World War II American forces went to aid of Britain in its hour of need, and the countries have continued to work together in a spirit of camaraderie.
Mayflower 400 is honoring the story of the Pilgrim and Wampanoag tribe, but also using the Mayflower as an economic driver that is encouraging investment into the city of Plymouth, UK. The English city boasts approximately 250,000 inhabitants, contrasting with Plymouth, Massachusetts and its nearly 60,000 residents, that rise to 80,000 during the summer. Plymouth, UK also boasts 30,000 jobs that rely on tourism, with more than 5.2 million visitors to the city annually, for an economic impact of 327 million pounds per year.
Industries like marine technology have nudged their way to the forefront in Plymouth, UK, and Lumley said film production, photo and digital industries as well as software development are growing. The 400th anniversary provides a unique opportunity to expand and develop these industries in partnership with Plymouth, Massachusetts, she added.
“If we became internationally recognized, we could work jointly on a North Atlantic marine technical cluster,” she said, referencing the two-city model. The two Plymouths could work together on projects in the global marketplace.
It would be wonderful if both Plymouth 400 and Mayflower 400 could attend the World National Trade Show in London in 2017, Lumley said. This event draws tour guides and businesses from all over the world, and the Plymouths could showcase their attractions.
The possibilities seem endless. And Lumley and her team are determined to work with Plymouth 400 to make this anniversary spectacular on both sides of the Atlantic.
In addition to her role as Mayflower 400 executive lead, Lumley is also the chief executive of Destination Plymouth (in the UK), and has worked leading attractions at Chester Zoo and Leeds Castle. In addition, Lumley has managed major shopping centers and department stores as well as regional tourism and business partnerships including Visit Essex, Visit Kent, Dover Pride Regeneration Partnership and Kent County Council.
Follow Emily Clark on Twitter @emilyOCM.
