Shop 3 is a group of mixed ability young people who meet each week in Maidstone. The members are from an urban background and their idea of a day out in the country came from discussions within the group. As several members are wheelchair users, the issue of disability access was at the forefront of this project.

Many people can simply wake up in the morning, get on the train or bus or take the car and spend a day in the country. However, with a wheelchair it can be more difficult. The issue of accessibility meant more time had to be spent planning the day out; research into disabled access, phone calls to check on paths and car parking. Eventually Groombridge Place Park became the favoured venue, enough grounds to be rural and enough facilities to be accessible.

Everyone set out to record their day with a camera each and pens and paper, so that on their return the day could be memorised by making a symbol of something that had caught the collective imagination. The first difference that was obvious to the group from the environment that they were used to was the sense of space and the proximity to the animals.

The boat ride up the canal was the one time when it was unnecessary to be preoccupied with access issues, but that was only after the creative techniques used to load the boat. As passengers climbed on board their weight brought the gang way level with the wheelchairs waiting on the quay.

The enduring images of the day were the animals and birds which were definitely the main attraction, whether it was the young bald headed eagle with its enthusiastic handler, the frantic pig race or the small pigs nuzzling up to everyone's rucksacks in the search for food. When everyone compared their photos and drawings it became evident that the most symbolic image was the splendid peacock strutting through the grounds. Several happy evenings followed making a larger than life peacock as a permanent reminder of the day.