Stroud's Centre for Science and Arts

Helena is still not feeling well and decided to visit her doctor's surgery. I drove her to the centre of town and used their car park. I decided to walk about with my camera while I waited for her return. I started at Park Gardens, a nearby green space which the town council manages and which was named after Herbert Sidney Park, who was killed in the First World War in 1917.

I snapped away in the very poor light under a cool cloudy sky and then crossed the road to walk up the hill towards Lansdown.  I've often walked there but never too any pictures of one of the most iconic buildings of Stroud, the old Centre for Science and Arts. It has had many roles since being built in 1890 and quite recently was used to house the local museum until it was moved to Stratford Park and a much more appropriate setting.

The current owners are the local Stroud and Rodborough Education Charity (SREC) who are trying to maintain the Grade 11 listed building which now needs a lot of care and attention. The charity lets out rooms in the building, but urgently require a new tenant after a previous lease was unfulfilled, leaving it in a state of dilapidation. The repair is estimated to be around £80,000.

As I'm one of those responsible for Lansdown Hall and Gallery, which is situated about fifty metres up the road on the left, I can fully understand the financial worries about looking after the building.  We have spent nearly five years renovating the Hall and we still have one more big fundraising drive ahead of us to complete the work.

I've added a second picture of the building in an 'Extra Photo' which was taken from the steep road opposite to Helena's surgery.


In case any one is interested I have now assembled all the pictures of Helena's mother's wedding which we attended in Argyll, Scotland just over a week ago.  You can have a look at this Flickr gallery.  I'll probably add a few landscapes too once I've posted this blip.