On 24 June 2024, Sumir Brown handed over her half of New Eden to me, and I became its sole owner and steward. This dedication marks that transition and honours what she brought to the place we created together.
The video travels through the story in moments: signing the purchase papers, arriving on the land and welcoming people into a home that had existed as a vision long before it became a practical reality.
The beginning, in the snow
One of the early recordings shows us at the centre during a deep freeze, just before moving in. The grounds are white, and I return to the image of Narnia that I had used in retreats. Standing there, beside the lamppost in the snow, that image suddenly feels very close.
There is excitement in those clips, and the very ordinary work of making a beginning. People are arriving, the team is coming together, and the first event is almost upon us. The vision is becoming a place that needs to be cared for and run.
A home with a history
At the first event, Sumir acknowledges the people who had built and cared for the centre before us. We were arriving in a place that already carried years of work, family life and meaning.
That acknowledgement is part of the story too. Becoming stewards of New Eden meant receiving what was already here, then finding how to carry it forward with our own community. The opening ceremony gives space to that transition before the work begins.
What the community helped us hold
The archive also includes a later update about the difficulty of sustaining the centre and the support that helped us continue. Alongside the joy, there was uncertainty and a great deal of responsibility.
Watching those moments together makes visible something that can be easy to miss when we only see a retreat taking place. A home for the work is held by practical effort and by people who continue to care when the way forward is unclear.
Thank you, Sumir
This dedication is a way of recognising Sumir's part in that history. The welcome she offered, the work she carried and her relationship with the community belong to the story of New Eden.
Thank you, Sumir Brown. This place wouldn't have been possible without your devotion, love and hard work.
The recording brings together footage from different chapters of New Eden's history. The article marks the ownership transition in June 2024.
