In fact, some were so good I wondered why everyone was not doing the same thing. The answer, I suspect, is because ideas often struggle to find a path out of their locality and for all the talk of the world being smaller, there are still barriers of language and culture that stand in the way of innovation and ingenuity crossing borders.
The town, which last month celebrated its 50th anniversary, has been at the forefront of many innovations, including the development of sustainable building design and energy efficiency.