Gloucester Street: the Old PainswicK Inn

At the bottom of Gloucester street, the one I've chosen for my One Street project, stands the Old Painswick Inn. By the time I came to Stroud in 1994, it was no longer being used as a pub, but the part on the right hand side of the door was functioning as a drop in cafe where bread and and soup could be had very cheaply, or paid for in Strouds, which was the currency of the now-defunct LETS , aka Local Exchange Trading Scheme. The rest of the building was used to house homeless youngesters. I spent a lot of time in the cafe when I was about 30, and gainfully unemployed. At that time, it was still socially acceptable to show one's face in public when unemployed.

Now there is an alternative funeral director's on the left, and an office of some sort on the right, while the upstairs is home to the homeless project, which has been renamed the youth foyer. (I preferred the old name, GLOFYSH, as it sounded like Glow-fish!)
To the left of the building is the British school, now no longer a school, but a community building. On the ground floor, through an archway, is the hugely successful Star Anise cafe, favoured by mothers and youngsters who are fond of Steiner education.

I really wanted to blip something else in the street, but hadn't got time. Whilst I was waiting for the no.61 bus to take me to Stonehouse for my last WEA class of the year, t just had time to nip up to the end of the street to take this shot. As I am working this evening, it will Have to Do.

CleanSteve is still proper poorly. I am afraid I am not very good at looking after him.