Inside the buzzy north Shropshire market town filled with independent shops and friendly locals

But the little market town is so much more than a footnote in a gardening handbook or an interesting pop culture fact rolled out in homes around Shropshire when Taskmaster is on the telly.

There are only around 6,000 people living in Wem - that’s a population half the size of Market Drayton and four times smaller than Wellington.

You would have thought, then, that the town might feel sleepy or quiet, but the reality is very different.

On an unseasonably warm Tuesday morning, the town was buzzing: shoppers drifting between independents and families stopping to chat on the pavement.

The town’s everyday character is shaped by its high street, which boasts an array of independent shops, traders, pubs and businesses that give the town its character.

Elaine Edwards has spent 16 years behind the counter at hardware shop Kings, but she’s lived in the town all her life.

What she loves most, she says, is the town’s rural setting and the sense that help is never far away.

“The people are very caring, if someone needs help, the community is quite forthcoming,” she said.

“We’ve got quite a few nice shops and businesses that are well supported by the community - even the ones that you think are a bit more niche.”

A few doors down, florist Helen Arrowsmith sees that same warmth every day. Visitors often comment on how friendly the town feels, she said, especially in the summer when holidaymakers pass through.

“The carnival is massive, you can’t believe the amount of people that come for that,” she added.

For a small town, she believes the high street outperforms many large towns, with a strong mix of independents, plenty of cafés, and a cluster of shops that have stood the test of time.

“There’s a good community on the high street,” she said. “There are some long-standing shops like Kings and Princes that have been here for a long time.”

At Princes, an electronics shop trading since 1981, staff member Danni Clive said the town’s familiarity is one of its strengths.

“Everyone’s so friendly, it’s a small town so everybody knows everybody - in a nice way,” she said.

“You can walk the dogs in the evening and pretty much everyone you see will give you a smile and say hello.”

Not everyone on the high street has been here for generations, though.

Antique dealer Andy Dunsford is one of the newest arrivals, opening Redshed 25 in the former Old Post Office pub last September after relocating from Ironbridge

A grand renovation of the historic building is currently underway, but the store is already open and thriving.

“Wem is a fabulous place, everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. It’s just a really, really nice town,” he said.

“It’s a busy place too - people seem to think it’s a sleepy little town but it’s not. There’s always something going on.”