Burnley’s Canal and the cotton mills which line its banks are the theme of the latest exhibition by local artist David Wild. It’s a sad thought that we have let our cotton town heritage decay so much that some of it must be worth more captured on Mr Wild's canvases than in property market terms. In this exhibition Mr Wild captures the melancholy charm and suggestions of past greatness that still seem to linger about these buildings. Titled King Cotton the exhibition is on show at the Stables Gallery, Trawden. It was opened last Friday by cotton manufacturer Mr George Clarkson who spoke about the building of Burnley’s Canal and the importance it held for the town. More than 20 pictures are on show in the intimate surrounds of the gallery with a top price of £250. The gallery, the converted stables block of the old Trawden vicarage is an apt place for the exhibition. For it is one of Mr Wild's most passionate beliefs that many of our older buildings can be restored and given new uses. He is particularly keen that the Sandygate area including Clock Tower Mill and Slater's Terrace the proposed site of an industrial Museum should be preserved. His paintings and drawings concentrate heavily on this area and should it ever disappear or be redeveloped, future generations would still be able to gather from them some of the special atmosphere of this corner of Burnley. Not all of the exhibition is focused on the past, several drawings show scenes at the Big Window public house Manchester Road.