Category Archive: Makers and doers

Midsummer Fayre 2016 in pictures

The night before last Saturday’s Midsummer Fayre, the weather forecast was looking grim – rain every hour throughout the duration of the event. When it came to it, we didn’t get a drop… Continue reading

It’s out! Wellington Summer Events 2016

Over the last few months I’ve been gathering details of arts, heritage & community events taking place in and around Wellington between May and September. Here’s the result – Wellington Summer Events 2016,… Continue reading

Making the most of 2016: Wellington Makers’ Project

What is your town known for? What marks it out from other places? Some towns have a ‘thing’ which makes it easier to answer that question – Ludlow has food, Ironbridge has museums… Continue reading

Get ready for a very Wellington Christmas

*Event update – please read: The Think Big, Shop Local event originally planned for 12th December has been rescheduled to take place in the Spring, on 5th March (coinciding with Charter Day). Organiser… Continue reading

Cider-making comes to town: a pressing matter in Market Street

I was in Wellington on Saturday and dropped in to see Dave the Brewer at The Pheasant. He’s only been brewing beer in town for six months, and he’s already expanding the operation,… Continue reading

Let’s bring Mythstories to Wellington – before it’s too late

Let me tell you a story. There once was a successful little museum called Mythstories – the world’s first museum of storytelling, no less. It lived happily in an old library building in… Continue reading

The brewers are back

In Wellington we’re fortunate to have three butchers, a couple of locally-based market gardeners, and even a goldsmith. But as micro-breweries have taken off elsewhere in Shropshire over the past 20 years, brewer is… Continue reading

The Midsummer Fayre in photos

Hot off the digital press… a gallery of photographs from this weekend’s Wellington Midsummer Fayre, plus some thank yous to those who made it happen. The sun shone, the churchyard was filled with… Continue reading

Ten days to go and ten things to do at the Midsummer Fayre

Just ten days to go until our annual Midsummer Fayre – I hope you’re coming. If you are – or if you still need some encouragement – here’s a check list of ten… Continue reading

Do you want your cinema back? Show us this Saturday…

Without doubt, the biggest and most exciting project in Wellington at the moment is the campaign to bring the old Clifton Cinema back to life. The energy behind that ambition was palpable when… Continue reading

Scenes from Charter Day

Wellington was bathed in glorious sunshine when the crowds gathered this morning for Charter Day, our annual nod to the occassion when our lord of the manor was granted a royal charter for the holding of markets and fairs, back… Continue reading

Well-made in Wellington: a real ale treat this Saturday

A trip to Pete and Liz Arden’s excellent Wrekin Tap at The Cock Hotel is always a pleasure. The beer, from around Shropshire and beyond, is always brilliantly kept; the staff are friendly; your fellow-drinkers are… Continue reading

Ten steps to running your own Ideas Farm

A fortnight ago, fifty people turned up to the Wellington Ideas Farm to talk about projects they thought could brighten up the town. It went down really well, and as we speak new projects… Continue reading

Carry on Farming

It was energetic. It was busy. It was simple. Last week’s Ideas Farm showed us what Wellington is made of… Local resources. What are they? When councils talk about resources, they usually mean… Continue reading

Wellington postcard from the future [No.2]

A second postcard from the future – this one promoting the Horner’s House exhibition space that’s been set up on Walker Street. Maybe you’re one of the volunteers who helped to make it… Continue reading

Make a date with H2A’s new stocking-filler…

…And enjoy a bit of Wrekin on your wall in 2013. As of yesterday, H2A’s 2013 Round The Wrekin calendars are in the shops – or rather, the shop (the very accomodating Ken… Continue reading

Wellington H2A: Autumn Update

You can download this blog post as a PDF by following the link: H2A Autumn newsletter_2012 With the Midsummer Fayre, Wrekin Barrel Race and Sounds in the Square behind us, our volunteers’ busy… Continue reading

So Wellington, what’s the big idea? Tell us down at the Ideas Farm…

The power of volunteers Last week, I joined my mate Alex Di Donato – another London-dwelling son of Wellington – to watch some Olympic basketball in Greenwich. All around the Games venues in… Continue reading

Market Forces: the return of the Wellington Farmers’ Market

So. Apparently the Jet Stream is back on course and a dry weekend awaits us in Wellington. And what better way to enjoy it than wandering down into Market Square on Saturday to enjoy not only Three in… Continue reading

Fayre comment: the stars of this weekend’s show

I’ve said enough about the Midsummer Fayre in the last few weeks – in press releases, on the radio, and on this blog, not to mention in acres of emails. But it is a… Continue reading

The Midsummer Fayre cometh…

This weekend the bunting’s out for the Jubilee – but just one week later, Wellington will be out in force again for the most colourful day in our calendar. Come and join us!… Continue reading

An update from your friendly local ale taster

Jerry Baily was appointed Wellington’s ale taster earlier in the year. During his two year term, he’ll be promoting local food and drink – that means encouraging the town’s businesses to stock it and we… Continue reading

New York…Amsterdam…Wellington? How grassroots projects are putting us on the map

If you visit one new website today, make sure it’s the Community Lovers Guide to the Universe. It’s an inspiration. On the front page you’ll see a grid featuring dozens of world cities – from… Continue reading

Get some peace this weekend…

Back in January I posted on George Evans’ ambition to establish a peace garden in Wellington. As we saw then, it was a simple idea that was taking root amongst all sorts of… Continue reading

The Walker Street revival starts here: a view from the future

As the borough council announces it will soon by selling its historic Walker Street properties, I report back from the future to tell you how the street’s turned out three years from now.… Continue reading

George & Peace: the old soldier, the new garden and the big idea

Seventy years ago, the people of Wellington were digging for victory. At 88 years of age George Evans, who vividly remembers that war, is urging us all to join him and do a little bit of digging for peace. As… Continue reading

Wellington’s secret brewer

Once upon a time, brewing and bottling were big business in Wellington. From their grand 19th century buildings, the Wrekin Brewery and Shropshire Brewery churned out beer to pubs all over the county… Continue reading