Black Mountains College

Last Saturday, while I was in Hay for the Grand Opening of the new bench, a meeting was taking place in Talgarth Town Hall which sounds quite intriguing. Apparently, plans are being drawn up for a new Black Mountains College - and the organisers are considering the old Talgarth Hospital site for it.
It's obviously a serious proposal - Kirsty Williams, AM, was there to introduce Owen Sheers (the local novelist) and Ben Rawlence (journalist), the founders of the idea. They have also been given seed funding by the Brecon Beacons National Park to conduct a feasibility study into establishing a college for rural skills and higher education, and teacher training. They are also supported by Talgarth Town Council (it may become part of their Town Plan), Powys County Council, several colleges and universities, including Swansea, local environmental organisations Green Valleys and Ty Mawr Lime Ltd., Good Energy, Hay Festival, Cerys Matthews, and the Wye and Usk Foundation.
What they say they want ( their website is http://blackmountainscollege.uk/) is an environment dedicated to creativity, experimental learning and adaptive thinking. The aim is to encourage a zero-carbon economy, which is why there's an emphasis on traditional rural skills, but they also want to offer new solutions, so there will be computer coding, and courses on renewable energy, transport, and organic farming, leading up to a real-world research project for each student.
It all sounds very interesting, though as yet it's only a concept - and it would be a great use for the old Talgarth Hospital, which is presently mouldering away into ruin.