TV Tom's totem poles get blessed by Native American Reg

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Native American REG BLESSES BBC TOM'S TOTEM POLES
AT THE WORLD GARDEN OF PLANTS

/24-7PressRelease/ - KENT, UK, June 12, 2006 - An unusual family have arrived at BBC 2's current favourite ancestral home Lullingstone Castle in Kent; a totem pole family made up of a Dad, Mum and baby totem pole have come all the way from Bali to take pride of place in the plant hunter, Tom Hart Dyke's World Garden of Plants at Lullingstone Castle.

In the 1700s British explorer Captain James Cook encountered them off the coast of British Columbia, and now explorers to Tom Hart Dyke's garden can also discover them on the very same coastline in the garden laid out in the shape of the world map.

Tom says of his totem poles; 'it's taken a year for them to get here from Bali, they've been stuck in ports for months - the carver might as well have got in his dug-out canoe and paddled here from Bali - it took so long! But now they're here we're having a special ceremony to cleanse the family.'

The special ceremony will be given by Reg Cannon (74) from Dartford, a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe of North America, Reg's family came to the UK in 1901 to settle in the South East.

The cleansing ceremony will take place at noon on Tuesday 6th June within the walls of 'the world garden'. Reg explains; 'I'll be wearing full regalia - buck skins, leggings, war shirt and eagle feathered war bonnet, and I'm going to consecrate the totem poles using Californian white sage'.

Tom and Reg have a special friendship which goes back to when Tom was kidnapped by guerrillas in the Darien Gap (Panama) in 2000. Reg, a regular helper at Lullingstone Castle, held a special prayer circle for Tom when he was missing in November 2000, he says of the worrying time 'we prayed for Toms safe delivery in late November 2000 and then just before Christmas 2000 Tom came marching through the Castle Gate. After Christmas we did another pipe circle to thank the great spirit for Toms safe return. I put my tepee up next to the lake and Tom and his mum took part'.

Six years on and they've teamed up to bless the garden, and Reg is as enthusiastic as Tom about the fledgling garden project, Reg said; 'I love the concept - I think it's brilliant - great for families and kids'.

Tom says of his totem pole family; 'they're something special for the kids - I want to encourage them into gardening at an early age, and fun objects like Ayres Rock, the Cobra from India and the totem poles inject some fun into horticulture - and if they notice the labels on the plants at the foot of the totems then all the better!'

Lullingstone Castle is open Friday and Saturday 12pm-5pm, Sundays and Bank Holidays 2pm-6pm. http://www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk

Notes to editor:

Contact Vikki Rimmer 01322 866293 07886673412

Photo opportunity Noon Tuesday 6th June World Garden of Plants, Lullingstone Castle - please call for details 01322 866293 07886673412

Images can be supplied.

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