JUST reading Rachel Beckett’s latest jottings in An Alternative View’ (March 8, 2017), I was struck by just how much excellent effort is already being applied in Stroud.

Nevertheless, looking carefully at the history of slavery, it was my understanding that the Archway in Paganhill is representative of the specific political struggle that went on in this area. According to Stroud’s Preservation Trust, they built it in 1834 as a grand entrance to a mansion owned by Henry Wyatt, a wealthy local businessman associated with the Stroud Anti-Slavery Society.

Switching to the present and deliberations on windfarms and local heroes, it is also worthwhile mentioning the excellent actions by SDC including insulating homes and the recycling of food waste, as well as the enterprising approaches by Ecotricity to promote renewable energy, and the much smaller but nevertheless important campaigning work by groups like Transition Stroud and Gloscan.org My appeal, In trying to imagine a good future for Stroud is to look beyond individual heroes and try to find a workable nexus that ties together the actions by civil society organisations, the private sector and the local authorities.

The deep concern about climate change began in earnest way back in the 1980s . if not before.It’s now a generation later that There is a need to move on from awareness-raising efforts to unashamed action. across the board.

Dr Nick James

Cainscross