Bath Uni architecture student exhibition in Stroud

I went to record a few more pictures this morning for Wool against Weapons' campaign of their stall at the Stroud Farmer's Market. Jaine is off on a deserved holiday for a few days so it was the last chance for a while. I had to go from there to a cash point to get some money to pay for the coach trip tickets to the big day at Aldermaston on 9th August.

On the way back I passed the Stroud Valleys Artspace gallery in the adjacent road and saw a sign in the window that I recognised. It was announcing the exhibition of the Bath University Architecture students exhibition in Stroud which I knew about through meeting some of the students many months ago whilst they were researching the project.

I entered the gallery and immediately took this picture before talking to two of the students. They told me a bit more about their final year project which ninety students had to produce to complete their degree. What caught my attention was not only the quality of the work but that it gelled completely with some of the work to be done for our Stroud Neighbourhood Development Plan, which I have been working on already for some months. It occurred to me that their work would be a really useful presentation to the residents of Stroud to show how these examples of individual imagination could inspire others to envisage the potential for development of these same areas of Stroud in the future.

I met two of the students, Abigail and Reshma, who explained how the exhibition had evolved and abigail had even chosen as her 'site' the very area of land that was key to our realisation of the need for a Neighbourhood Development Plan, so that the community of Stroud could have a say in what development occurs in their community.

I am hoping we can get some of their work shown when we have our public presentations as part of the consultation process with the residents and businesses of the parish. I am sure they will be pleased that their academic exercises become useful in the way that the people of the area get to help to develop their environments.

This model shows the contours of the valley of the River Frome, which runs through Stroud, and the old Stroudwater Canal close by it which is currently being restored. Many of my pictures of Stroud feature parts of this specific landscape. Quite a few of the students' chosen projects are of sites on this model of Wallbridge and the Cheapside area of town.