Local students brought a buzz to Green Park Station at the Bath College Christmas market, filling the former railway station with music, gift stalls and festive fun last week.
The market involved students from across the college, who worked hard to make and sell hand-made gifts, food and flower arrangements.
Art and design students created their own products in class, producing cushions, mugs, bags, jewellery and t-shirts.
Visitors also stopped to listen to first year music students perform and watch bricklaying students build a Christmas chimney.
The college’s student participation team and childcare students manned a stall where people could make their own Christmas decorations.
There were robots, food and floristry stalls and face-painting sessions.
Students were encouraged to take part in the market to make sure they develop business skills early on in their careers.
Bath resident Jill Hodgson said: “I think it’s very good. It gets them out in the real world. I love the bricklaying. That’s really good to show what they are doing as apprentices going into industry.”
Garry Manning, managing director at The Self-Publishing Partnership, popped out of his Green Park Station office to buy some cushions.
To make the cushions, students created darkroom photographic cyanotypes, which were screen-printed onto hand-made cushions.
Mr Manning said: “I just thought I would see what was going on. I quite like a lot of stuff that’s here. I like good modern design.”
Technician Katie Dyer helped to run the floristry stall, selling poinsettias, lilies, table decorations and Christmas wreaths.
She said: “It’s actually gone really well. Because of the amount of glitter we have got, I think it’s attracting a lot of attention.
“It’s nice for the students to make something and bring it out, to be able to sell it and see how much interest they get in what they have made.
“They do the wreaths as part of their assessment in class and wrapping is something they learn so we can sell flowers in the college shop.”
Dave Merriman, Head of Art and Design, said: “This is providing an excellent opportunity to see the development of young entrepreneurs. Some of the products the students have designed have been flying of the shelves.
“It’s great to see them taking a collective responsibility for the market, as well as learning about things other than creativity – for example, financial recording, keeping sales and communicating with the public.”