The twittering congregation
In this new weekly column we delve behind the stories of some of our favourite Shropshire tweeters. This week - Hopton House Bed and Breakfast, Harper Adams University College and Wem Baptist Church Pastor Rob Whiteway.
These days it seems as though everyone's twittering about Twitter, and in this new weekly column we delve behind the stories of some of our favourite Shropshire tweeters to find out how they're using the popular social networking site.
We couldn't help but be impressed by the savvy owner of South Shropshire's Hopton House Bed and Breakfast business @HoptonHouseBnB
She now uses the site to build relationships with potential customers by posting pictures of the stunning scenery around Hopton House, tweeting scrumptious breakfast menus and answering queries via her Twitter feed.
Karen said: "It's difficult to explain to people how Twitter works – you just need to jump in there, start using it and see what happens!"
"I follow lots of other B&Bs, mostly in the States. I keep an eye on how they're using Twitter and have started chatting offline with some of them. I even booked my first holiday on Twitter as a result of the fantastic photos @thetorridon posted on Twitpic!
"And the social element is another benefit – I've found a few fellow tweeters that have a similar sense of humour to me and it replaces the office banter that you miss when you're self employed."
Jaclyn started using Twitter after the site gained national and international media exposure, thanks to the likes of celebrity Twitterers like Stephen Fry.
"I've been tweeting since March and find it has many uses," she says. "I use it to post news headlines when articles go up on our website, and reminders about forthcoming events.
"A big part of my job is liaising with the press and on Twitter I'm connected with some publications that are important to Harper Adams, like the Farmers Weekly, Times Higher Education and, of course, the Shropshire Star.
"Our students have also been using Twitter as a forum for discussions linked to a Contemporary Business Issues module. They've had some lively debates on topics including taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, and food labelling.
"On a personal level, I see Twitter as the Web 2.0 equivalent of 'people watching" – which is always interesting."
Rob Whiteway, one of the pastors at Wem Baptist Church, has been tweeting his activities since last year, from special Easter services in Wem to preaching in Prees.
"I've been in Wem for five-and-a-half years," says Rob. "But I still have my Scouse accent – if I lost that, my mother would kill me!"
Rob shares the ministry with the Rev Phil Wright to a congregation of 200. He says he started using Twitter to keep in touch with other pastors in the UK and share common interests, as well as keeping pace with the younger element of his congregation.
"I use Twitter to share my faith and experiences with my friends, family, colleagues and congregation.
"Twitter is a means by which we can be a community and as a pastor, I see it as part of my role to be within that community.
"As well as being a great community tool, it also gives users fast access to the latest news, which is why it's great to see the Shropshire Star as part of the Twitter community."
By Lara Page
* Are you a Shropshire twitterer with an interesting story to tell? Get in touch with us through our Twitter page @ShropStar
