It's time to party (From Stroud News and Journal)

It's time to party

STROUD will be celebrating a very special birthday next year and preparations are already underway to make sure the party goes with a swing.

The year 2004 will mark the 700th anniversary of the town becoming a parish in its own right.

Seven centuries ago Stroud was a growing village which was still part of Bisley.

But the difficulties people were having getting their babies to Bisley for Baptism prompted churchmen to make it a separate parish so it could have its own church. Stroud became a community in its own right in 1304.

Now civic leaders are looking at ways to commemorate the milestone anniversary.

Town centre manager Vicky Hancock told the News & Journal what the Stroud 700 committee had come up with.

"There will be a variety of things going on but not all of them have been finalised yet," she said.

"There will be a series of exhibitions and talks about the town's history as well as celebrations throughout next year."

The first major event is set to be a conference on the mills in the Five Valleys and their historical importance, held appropriately at Ebley Mill in May or June.

Stroud's recent working history will be under the spotlight in May at an exhibition of Industry Past and Present which will display photographs and memorabilia from the area's workshops and factories from the past 60 years.

It will look at the stories of various mills and also at their future in the context of the planned re-opening of the canal.

History will be brought to life in July with a Medieval banquet and street market.

Revellers will dine and dance in Ye Subscription Roomes, listening to music from the Middle Ages and feasting on the food of our forefathers.

July will also see a large party in Stratford Park to top off the summer celebrations with bands, entertainment and sunshine.

There will be a religious service celebrating 700 years of Stroud in Bank Gardens in August and on August 10, St Laurence's feast day, it is possible the bell ringers will ring a full two-hour peal, saved for very special occasions.

A tour celebrating the town's role in the Arts and Craft movement is set to take place in September.

An exhibition of old photographs, postcards and early video footage is set to tell the Story of Stroud in the Subscription Rooms in August.

Although material has already been collected the Stroud 700 committee would like to hear from anyone with artistic flair prepared to help set up the show.

There will also be commemorative projects to mark the year in Stroud's history.

The first will be to draw up a town alphabet with each letter Summing up something about Stroud and the other will be a huge quilt - Stroud in Stitches - with people being invited to sew their own patches.

Anyone with other ideas which they are prepared to organise should call Stroud Town Council on 01453 762817 for details of possible funding.