Whitchurch: We get to know the buzzy north Shropshire market town filled with independent shops and friendly locals thrust into national spotlight by dramatic canal collapse
In a week when the town found itself thrust unexpectedly into the national spotlight, we visited the north Shropshire market town of Whitchurch to see why locals love to call it home.
In a strange coincidence, Whitchurch was next on our list of towns and villages to visit for this series celebrating Shropshire's local communities long before the country's media descended on the market town after part of the Llangollen Canal dramatically collapsed on Monday.
It was a strange pivot, moving away from the chaotic and heartbreaking canalside scene awash with cameras, white vans and workers in hi-vis, into the town centre.
I'm not sure how it happened, but after more than two decades in Shropshire, Tuesday's venture was my first time exploring Whitchurch's town centre.
And what a time to choose: the town was beautifully festooned with Christmas lights, with dozens of the stores having gone to great lengths to decorate their windows for the festive season.
