Sir Sidney McSprocket introduces two Great Minds – Eugene Rimmel and Sir James Dyson, and shows how being adaptive is an important quality for creative people.

Eugene Rimmel was a perfume maker who was born in France but lived in England for most of his life.

At the Great Exhibition, he created a giant fountain that sat atop of a splendid base featuring glass cases filled with bottles of ‘Great Exhibition Bouquet’ perfume. If the stylish bottles didn’t convince people to hand over their money, then ladies could try the perfume on their handkerchiefs – by asking for a spritz from the fountain itself!

You might recognise Eugene Rimmel’s name.

Although he died in 1887, the cosmetics brand that he created, Rimmel London, is still sold around the world.

You see, he didn’t just stop at one invention – just like another great British mind and one who’s still inventing today… Sir James Dyson.

Sir James’ story didn’t start with vaccum cleaners. Before that, he invented something else – something very different.

It was a wheelbarrow! Or rather a Ballbarrow.

He’d noticed that wheelbarrows had a tendency to get stuck in the mud. His idea was that a ball shaped wheel would be less likely to sink – and thus the Ballbarrow was born!