Skillbuilders - News
Spreading the message is a key factor ensuring the next generation and their mentors get the recognition they deserve. High profile publicity like the Queens representative presenting the Queens Awards at Ludlow school, or Marches young chefs going to London or indeed the CIC launch of Skillbuilders are all important to keep the Skillbuilders ethos in the public view.
Skillbuilders, although looking to focus in designated geographic areas is keen to be part of a much larger fellowship all learning from each other and sharing best practice.
For this we need the news industry to be our outward facing message board and to really buy in to the vision.
Shropshire Conservation Team Undertake Major Restoration Work in Transylvania
A team of local building restoration craftsmen
from Shropshire and Herefordshire are currently
helping to conserve the traditional Saxon heritage
of central Transylvania, as part of an EU funded
South Shropshire District Council lifelong learning
project. Craftsmen Ken Milloy from Ludlow and
Phil Steventon from Brimfield have teamed up
with John Lansdell from Longnor and Treasures of
Ludlow carpenters Andy Greatwich and Greig
Smith to restore an ancient church and farm buildings
near the village of Viscri set in the foothills of
the Carpathian mountains.
The conservation specialists all using hand tools and locally available materials have split
into three teams. The first group are raising an old timber barn that has sunk into a marsh at
the edge of the village and then setting about its restoration. The second group are helping
conserve the fortifications of a medieval church at Bunest. SSDC Building Inspector John
Marston a former local stone mason has brought those skills back to the fore at this site to
rebuild a collapsed defensive tower. The third element of the project is the undertaking of an
archaeological dig below the town walls of the citadel at Sighiosara, which is led by Bill Klemperer
of English Heritage and Clee Hill archaeologist Glynn Barratt. The skills demonstrated
are helping to teach both local village builders and carpentry students from Hereford College
of Technology Lewis Mather, Jaron Macaulay and Joe Richards, fundamental principles in the
art of building conservation.
The project is led by Colin Richards conservation officer at South Shropshire Council and is
linked to the restoration of Ludlow’s town walls where the major grant giving bodies English
Heritage and the Heritage lottery fund require education and skills training to be integral to
any award of grant.
It is intended that such partnership projects which involve key craftsmen in the community
and governmental organisations can provide the basis to hand on precious skills to young
people at home and abroad and in so doing they in turn can help maintain the unique heritage
of the Welsh Marches.
To further this work and develop other links to
community life through the Ludlow based Skillbuilders
organisation , local Ludlow town councillor
and furniture maker Graeme Perks is overseeing
and helping construct a new bench for the
magnificent church in Viscri village.
The above represents a summary of the first
weeks work, more will follow on the team’s return
to the UK.
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