Students at Bath College create stone bench to mark important twinning anniversary

A bench created by Bath College students has been given a central spot in the city’s Parade Gardens, overlooking the iconic Pulteney Bridge.

Students studying Level 2 stonemasonry were tasked with this important project to mark the 40th anniversary of Bath twinning with Aix-en-Provence in France.

They worked hard to get the bench ready for an unveiling ceremony attended by Monsieur Alain Chabert, President of Aix International Relations Twinning, and his colleague Madame Isabel de Castro.

The bench, designed by stonemasonry student Hayley Egan, features a poem by Aix poet Michel Cahour, which is carved into the seat.

Monsieur Michel Cahour attended the ceremony, along with stonemasonry student Jack Green, stonemasonry technician Tanya Josham and Daisy Walsh, Head of Department for Technology at Bath College.

They were pleased to see the bench in place at the popular Parade Gardens, where it will be used by residents and visitors.

Stonemasonry lecturer Paul Maggs said: “We had a week to produce it, so the students pulled together and stayed on late to get it done. I’m really pleased with the result, it’s placed in a really good position opposite the statue of Bladud and the pig.

“Working on a job like this (which is outside the college curriculum) is important to increase students’ skills. They were under pressure to get it completed, which gave them a taste of what it’s like to work in industry.”