25" November 2004 Rt Hon Richard Cabo MP Minister for Sport DCMS 2-4 Cockspur Street Trafalgar Square London SW1Y SDH Dear Richard, Further to our phone conversation on Monday, I wanted to ask that you might consider visiting Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, a remarkable tourist and educational facility, run as an independent charitable trust, which is helping to create sustainable job opportunities in the rural northeast. I visited the Garden with Graham Meadows Director General of DG Region in the European Commission last Saturday and it is clear that this facility has massive future potential for the North East, and Graham sees it as a model for the rest of the European Union. The Garden is about half an hour from Neweastle by car and I know that your interest in visiting would be warmly welcomed by the trust and the many volunteers who have turned this into such an asset to the region and I believe, the country. Kind regards, Alen Alan Donnelly Executive Chairman Cc: Mark Nellist Duchess of Northumberland Graham Meadows Jonathan Blackie