Veronica and I were invited by the Mayor of Church Stretton, Cllr Michael Braid, to visit the town. We met at the new Health & Wellbeing Centre and were welcomed by the manager, Nicola McPherson. After a brief tour of the charming town with the Mayor, we returned to the Centre for an interesting meeting …
Saturday 29th July – Sunday 30th July Veronica and I accompanied the Shrewsbury Street Pastors on their rounds of the town on Saturday night through to about 3.30 am on Sunday morning. The Street Pastors are volunteers belonging to local churches and were set up as a charitable organisation in response to a request from …
Sunday 23rd July 2017 Veronica and I were invited to attend the splendid Ludlow Dog Day at Stokesay Court near Onibury. This is a light-hearted dog show open to all comers and featuring such excellent classes as “Cutest Puppy”, “Waggiest Tail” and “Scruffiest Mutt”. Thanks are due to the Rotary Club of Ludlow, who are …
Tuesday 18th July 2017 At the invitation of Brigadier Robin Anderton-Brown, Veronica and I attended the 11th Signal and West Midlands Brigade Reception and Beating the Retreat at Venning Barracks, Donnington. After an excellent parachute display put on by the Silver Stars Parachute Display Team, we witnessed the ceremony of Beating the Retreat by the …
Monday 17th July 2017 Veronica and I visited Market Daryton at the invitation of the Mayor, Cllr Matthew Erwin. We met in the Festival Daryton Centre and were shown around by Geoff Vernon MBE, who has been the driving force behind the centre over the last 30 years. The Centre is based in an old …
Sunday 16th July Veronica and I were invited by the British Red Cross to view the gardens participating in the Ludlow Gardens Open event. We were met by Lynne Bowers (Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire Vice President), Caroline Savage (Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire Senior Community Fundraiser) and Eleanor Mason (Presidents’ Liaison Manager), who gave us an excllent guided …
Saturday 15th July Veronica and I attended the Oswestry Classic and Vintage Transport Rally on Saturday at The British Ironwork Centre near Oswestry, where the proceeds of the entrance fee were donated to Hope House, the children’s hospice based both in Oswestry and at Conwy in the neighbouring county of Clwyd (see https://www.hopehouse.org.uk/contact-us.html). There was …
The Oswestry Classic and Vintage Transport Rally Read More »
Saturday 15th July 2017 Veronica and I attended the Eckford Sweet Pea Festival at Wem at the invitation of the Mayor Cllr Edward Towers. He and his wife very kindly showed us round the beautiful displays of both Eckford and Spencer sweet peas. We were most impressed with the quailty of the flowers and the …
Thursday 13th July 2017 Veronica and I visited Whitchurch today at the invitation of the Mayor, Councillor Tony Neville, and were shown around by Cllr Neville and Town Clerk Nicola Young. We first met staff at the Civic Centre, and were then taken to St Alkmund’s Church, a Grade I-listed jewel built in 1713, where …
9th July 2017 Veronica and I attended the 131st Wenlock Olympian Games, which are held every year in Much Wenlock on the site of the first games founded in 1850 by a local doctor, William Penny Brookes. We were extremely impressed both by the enthusiasm and dedication of the athletes and by the professional management …
As part of the Wenlock Olympian Games, Veronica was invited to act as Lady Paramount at the archery competition, which was held at Attingham Park. The dictionary definition of Lady Paramount is “A woman in supreme authority; (now chiefly Archery) a woman appointed to present the prizes at the end of a tournament, and (in …
Wednesday 28th June 2017 Veronica and I visited David Austin Roses and were welcomed by David Austin, son of the founder, and Michael Marriott, Technical Manager Rosarian, who is a leading garden designer and has worked for the company for over 20 years. Despite the rainy day, the roses looked excellent and we greatly enjoyed …
Wednesday 28th June 2017 Last night I attended the annual prize giving ceremony for North Shropshire College at their Walford Campus, Baschurch, and had the pleasure of presenting the awards to the winners. There was a great variety of subjects covered, and I was particularly struck by the enthusiasm behind all the recommendations by the …
Tuesday 27th June 2017 Veronica and I visited Harper Adams University near Newport. We were received by Vice-Chancellor Dr David Llewellyn and University Secretary Dr Catherine Baxter, who gave us an interesting and instructive briefing on the past development and future prospects for the university. We then had a tour of the university’s impressive facilities, …
Saturday 17th June 2017 My wife and I attended a splendid ceremony at the foot of Lord Hill’s Column designed to advertise the importance, on both a local and a national level, of the column and its fine Coade stone statue, and to encourage as many people as possible to join the Friends of Lord …
Wednesday 14th June 2017 My wife and I attended the formal re-opening of the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron by HRH The Duke of Gloucester. Following a tour of the Museum of Iron by The Duke of Gloucester, Barrie Williams and Gaye Blake-Roberts , respectively Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, spoke …
Sunday 11th June 2017 My wife and I attended the RAF Cosford Air Show at the invitation of the Station Commander, Air Commodore Mark Hunt. We had a most enjoyable day with a series of extremely well organised displays culminating in the Red Arrows’ performance. They put on an very dramatic display, and the moment …
Saturday 10th June 2017 My wife and I attended the 10th anniversary celebrations for the Uplands Care Home, Clayton Way, Shrewsbury, which were marked by a tea party with a seaside theme for the residents, their families and friends. We were very impressed with the efforts that had been made to decorate the wards with …
9th June 2017 My wife and I attended a drinks party given by Mr Humphrey Scott-Moncrieff DL, High Sheriff of Staffordshire, at his home near Leek. Our hosts were extremely generous, and there was an endless stream of good drink and delicious canapes. In addition to a large number of local residents, High Sheriffs from …
Thursday 8th June 10.00 pm My wife and I visited the Telford College of Arts and Technology just after the start of the counting of votes for the two parliamentary constituencies of Telford and The Wrekin, accompanied by the Under Sheriff, Madeleine Butcher. We were shown round by the Chief Executive, Richard Partington, and his …
