Students Make Good Use of Summer Holidays
Two HCT students gave up their holiday time this summer to work on a community heritage project in Ludlow. Having completed their Level 1 in Brickwork, the two jumped at the opportunity to work on the rebuild of the 19th century wall at the Ludlow Conference Centre, before returning to study the Level 2 Brickwork course in September. Billy Johnson and Glenn Lyall, who have been repairing the stone masonry wall, have welcomed the opportunity to do something different that will add to their ever-widening skills base.
“I would rather be getting out and doing something that will go towards my future, than staying in and watching the telly,” commented Billy. Working daily in all weathers, the pair have been mistaken for professional restorers by many of the passers-by. “Loads of people have stopped to talk to us about the project, saying it is a real work-of-art and they are so pleased to have it fixed. Everyone has been talking about it; it has been a great experience. My favourite part has really been the actual building itself; it has been like a jigsaw puzzle, getting the right stones and making it our own.” Glenn explained.
The Director of the Ludlow Conference Centre, Tina Healy, was also keen to emphasise how the centre and the community have both welcomed the development. “Both the students are doing a fantastic job and have an amazing work ethic. They have been great personalities to be around and are really popular with the local community; many of which use the facilities at the centre.”
Colin Richards, Head of Conservation and Archaeology for Shropshire Council, who is running the project, explained how he approached HCT with the opportunity. “My son studied carpentry at the College about 5 years ago and at the time I had started taking groups of young craftspeople out to Romania to work on renovation projects there. Other students started to become interested after leaving College and many have taken part since. The aim of our projects is to have young craftspeople working on their own initiative, whilst being guided by their experienced peers.
“This current project in Ludlow has those same aims and coincides with the 200th young craftsperson going out to Romania this year. It came about as a precursor to plans for renovating the town walls in Ludlow. Funding permitting, we are hoping to renovate the walls over several years, using the project to widen our own UK heritage skills-base, which at the moment is suffering greatly from a skills shortage.”
It isn’t just Colin Richards who has this concern. HCT’s Rural Craft Centre at the Holme Lacy Campus has recently started supplying training for the Heritage Blacksmiths Bursary Training Programme, which answers a need for readily available trained and skilled practitioners in conservation practice who can work effectively on the UK’s vast ironwork heritage. With projects like these, it is hoped that the UK’s heritage will be passed down to the prepared hands of the next generation, benefitting the craftsperson as well as the wider community.
HCT’s, Team Leader for Construction, Howard Repton commented, “These projects present a unique opportunity for our students to gain worthwhile experience and knowledge in areas of the building industry they might not otherwise gain. They will no doubt be proud of their work and be able to look back in years to come and be reminded of their contribution to the country’s heritage.”
