It’s unlikely to inspire a top 10 hit, but Shrewsbury is to get its own boat across the river so people can still get from A to B when the Porthill Bridge closes writes Dave Burrows.

It’s less like the boat which inspired the Gerry and the Pacemakers hit and more like the Buckleberry Ferry from Lord of the Rings. Only without the scary dead guys on horses chasing you.

Instead of that, you have to pay to get across the river. Last time I went across the bridge (Tuesday night) it was free. So now I’ll have to pay for something that is less convenient and will take longer, is that right?

The footbridge will be closed for five months for a £450,000 maintenance work and there were concerns that the Boathouse pub next to the bridge would suffer as a result. So the owners and Shropshire Council have stumped up money for the majority of the running costs.

The Boathouse owners say: “There will be a small charge because it costs a lot of money to do it.”

If I was being churlish I might say: “Tough, that’s your problem. It’s not my fault that you might lose customers because the bridge is closed. What about those of us who go running or cycling in the Quarry and use that bridge as part of the route? Why should we suffer?”

I have no doubt there will be some people who WILL say that. But for once (I hope you’re sitting down) I will not be one of the dissenting voices.

As the owners of the pub also point out: “It is not just for The Boathouse customers, we are doing it to help the whole community.”

With them paying, they could quite easily have said: “If you ain’t coming for a drink. you ain’t getting on the boat.” But they haven’t. What’s more, businesses need all the help they can get at the moment. And few have suffered more in recent years than the local boozers. So if this move does help keep the customer levels up, then I’m all for it.

I, for one, applaud the good people at the Boathouse for their community spirit. And who knows? Once the bridge repairs are complete we might find the ferry is so popular it remains as a summer-time tourist attraction.

And then maybe one day it will inspire a song.