Shrewsbury is famous around the world as the birthplace of Charles Darwin and for its medieval buildings and history.
But some visitors to a London railway station during an event to raise the profile of Shropshire had no idea where it was - with some not even knowing it was near the countryside.
Many others had not heard of the town’s famed annual flower show even though it is the oldest in the world.
The bemused looks met a group of people representing Shropshire during a special event to raise the profile of the county at Marylebone Station in London on Thursday.
Annette James, finance officer for Shropshire Horticultural Society, said: “A lot of people in London also didn’t realise there was a through train to Shrewsbury and of course people south of Birmingham don’t always know where Shrewsbury is.
“I met one person who asked if Shrewsbury was in the country and if there were sheep and cows.
“The hardest thing was explaining where Shrewsbury and Shropshire was. They just didn’t know where they are.
“I think we’ve educated them but we’ve got to keep doing this.”
And more people are expected to be visiting the county and coming to Shrewsbury for the flower show after finding out more during the event.
Mrs James said she took 600 leaflets about the flower show with her and all were handed out during the day which lasted from about 1.30pm until 7.30pm.
“I came across a botanist who came to Shrewsbury as a teenager and said she might come for the flower show,” she added.
Representatives from Telford and Wrexham and other parts of the Midlands and Wales also took part in the event, organised to promote the Wrexham and Shropshire Railway service through to London, which was launched earlier this year.
This year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show will take place on August 15 and 16. Tickets are available on (01743) 234050.
By John Kirk
18 Comments
I thought Shropshire wasn’t near the countryside…. surely it IS the countryside!
I love living in Shropshire because it is the country’s best kept secret - I like that you can move around easily because the roads aren’t clogged to breaking point with tourists and property boomers. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that people from down south haven’t heard of us - and it really doesn’t bother me either!
Someone once asked me what county Shropshire’s in.
Shropshire can’t have it both ways,
going out of its way to discourage visitors, and then complaining that there are no tourists.
Shropshire is a beautiful county ruined by the petty small minded people who live in it.
They haven’t heard of us ?
Let’s keep it that way !!!
Salop for the Salopians.
I went to new york a few years ago and someone asked me if i knew shropshire, it made me smile as most Americans had only heard of London.
Thank god southerners do NOT know where Shropshire is.
Otherwise they would all move up here - where houses are cheaper and price locals out of buying houses ie like parts of Hampshire, Sussex etc
I think this story “maps” well to another popular thread on here about Sat-navs.
It seems to me that no one bothers to buy a map these days, let alone READ it.
So -
There it is, … in days gone by, you thumbed through the AA road map (or other well know Map purveyors to the exploring motorist/traveller, looked at the gazateer on the back showing all those lovely sounding names like Shrewsbury etc , and how far away they were (We lived hjust outside ~London at the time)
Then… you looked on the map again, and from the relief you discovered that surprisingly, there were big hills in shropshire, and other counties, and
What was even more surprising, that in further afield places like Wales and Scotland, there were bigger hills called mountains….. and I discovered all this 50+ years ago as a young boy when I lived in Essex….
If people REALLY know that little about the Geography of this country, well ….. what can I say !!
Have you seen the latest Muller advert on TV? Showing how green and pleasant Shropshire is?
Mark my words, give it two years and the county will - like the Cotswolds - be overrun by faux delicatessens / expensive antique shops / pseudo-4×4’s like Cayennes and Touaregs / and the delicate sound of estuary english accents.
PS
I’m with askeric. Prat-navs are no substitute for a good map. Mrs Spin & I have travelled Europe with nothing more than a good Phillips map of Europe and a detail road atlas of Italy.
Early 1980’s BT moved their switching centre to just outside Oswestry.
About the same time Sunday Times ran a feature on Shropshire being the undiscovered county. House prices rocketed in the South East, the soon to be retired sold up and moved up here in droves. They priced locals out of the towns and villages, and now they are they ones who want to keep Shropshire secret,
funny that.
Church stretton has been taken over by old people coming up here to die. Now they don’t want anyone under the age of 60 ruining the peace or having fun.
I agree Sarah - I work in Church Stretton - and it is an old age retirement village for over 60’s from down south.
As they have large incomes from down south they have moved up to Church Stretton and the house prices have risen to such a level that people who work in CS or young people who live here can no longer afford a house and are forced to move to Shrewsbury or Telford..
They should be a law brought in that you are not allowed to relocate more than 30 miles from where you originally live when you retire.
Sarah - I take it you are under 60 and live in Church Stretton.
What are you going to do when you are 60 - move somewhere else to die?
I can’t afford to live in Stretton anymore. I grew up and worked there for a long time. Y Mab has hit the nail on the head, we all have to move away from family and live in Shrewsbury or Telford. I would love to live near my parents so the kids could see them more but a house like the one we have now would cost to much. I have no problem at all with a mixture of ages but when most of the community is retired it causes problems.
Paula - as Sarah has stated the problem is weathier southerners moving to Chruch Stretton - it is known as the most scenic place in shropshire.
As southerners get paid more than people in the same jobs in the Midlands or the North they are able tobuy property which locals were once able to afford.
My question is with such a influx of older people this forces local schools to shut down and people are forced to relocate from family.
I would love to afford a 2 or 3 bedroom house in CS but I would be looking at around 190K for even a 2 bedroom house in CS compare that to 100 - 140K for a 2 up 2 down in Shrewsbury/telford and you can see the problem
Just go into the doctors surgery in Stretton. It’s like a scene from a George A. Romero film.
following on from ADH, these are some of the films most credited to G Romereo!! :
The films for which Romero is best known are the films of the ‘Dead’ series — “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), “Dawn of the Dead” (1978), “Day of the Dead” (1985) and “Land of the Dead” (2005). Other notable films include “Martin” (1978) and “Creepshow” (1982).
Is everyone “dead” right about Church Stretton?
Church Stretton is litterally god’s waiting room. You’ve only got to go back, what, 8 years and the town had a pretty good turnout on a friday/saturday night.
I’ve moved away now and on the occaision that I do nip into Stretton for a drink it is dead.
For anyone who does feel that Stretton is being stereotyped then you’d better open your eye or get new glasses the next time you wander down the High Street or Sandford Avenue. Stretton is a very exclusive place to live with high property prices and a ‘quiet’ disposition and because of this people are ‘dying’ to get in.
best scenery, best beer, cheapest park and rides,you lucky people up there, please do not talk your county down, if shropshire is still undiscovered, only let the outsiders know slowly, you don’t want a sudden influx of visitors or do you. i had a nice 10 day break up there in englands largest inland county 3 weeks ago.