Lovely two days in Shrewsbury

I just read my last entry and I do sound rather a moaner! I think everything was just getiing on top of me.

Everything changed the next day. We woke up to sunshine and by the time we left it was really hot. We arrived in Shrewsbury in the late afternoon and, after checking in at our bed and breakfast, went to the Flower Show. We always go in the evening. It’s much cheaper then and the marquees don’t close until 9 o’clock so there is plenty of time.

We spent a lovely few hours looking at the flower displays, crafts and trade stands.

I thought this crown in honour of the Diamond Jubilee was very impressive.

Also loved this tree made entirely out of metal.

Percy Thrower’s bust in the Dingle. Percy was Parks Superintendant in Shrewsbury for 28 years.

We bought some spring bulbs and a pot of chrysanthemums for the garden, then sat down near the Dingle gardens to listen to the Caribbean steel band. I couldn’t believe it when my best friend from school came over with her grandson. We hadn’t arranged to meet and there must have been thousands of people there.

The show always ends with several brass bands and a choir playing in the arena.

This is the 1812 Overture with fireworks.

The following day we spent a beautiful morning driving round Shropshire villages finding places where my ancestors came from. I lived in Shrewsbury for the first 14 years of my life but I never knew until a couple of years ago that I had ancestors from the area. Then we had lunch in a local supermarket and bought more flowers, fuschias and a puple spiky plant. They were much cheaper than in the show. After lunch I was delighted to find that the archives were open on a Saturday so I was able to do a little family history research there.

Unfortuately the weather changed back to rain the next day and it was 2 weeks before I was able to plant the flowers!