An Arts Jubilee

Unwittingly carrying on the theme of 'salt' and Victorian architecture from yesterday, I attended a site tour of the old Verdin Technical School and Gymnasium on London Road in Northwich this afternoon. This is the detail of some of the stained and painted glasswork from the lovely old gymnasium. You don't normally see industrial arts and exercise being advocated for under one roof, but they were forward thinking those clever Victorians.

The building was first donated by Sir Joseph Verdin, salt proprietor of Cheshire to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and the building is now going through another cycle of regeneration in Queen Elizabeth II's own equivalent.

Until fairly recently the building was being run as an art college by Mid-Cheshire College. Now artist Carolyn Shepherd is negotiating to take over the building, and use it as affordable artists studios for the newly formed London Road Artists Collective.

Tough times for the arts right now, but good on you Carolyn for going for it.