Mini Masterpiece

A rare opportunity today to see behind the scenes at Oxford's huge Mini plant, including this impressive trompe l'oeil mural breaking through the wall of the new assembly plant.

Something like 3,000 workers are based here - it really is a mini town in its own right. Of course getting all those people in and out is tricky, and the manager told me that at shift change-over time the car park is chaos.

So now (perhaps with wisdom from their German owners) they are looking at enlightened solutions - from lift-sharing and priority for smaller and electric vehicles, through to actively promoting cycling and walking as better for staff, business and the environment.

Yes, that's right! - even this car company is now acknowledging that we must rebalance and get away from our obsession with prioritising cars about all else. Is that a little irony, or perhaps a mini contradiction?