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
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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
Wellington Postcard from The Future [No.1]
With the Ideas Farm less than two weeks away, everyone’s talking about the ideas that could electrify our town. Just today, I received a postcard to chivvy us along. It’s from the future –… 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
You know you’re in Wellington when…
How would you finish that sentence, jokes aside? And how would you LIKE to be able to finish it? In other words what, ideally, would be the things that mark our town out… Continue reading
Trading up… new farmers’ market a big success!
This Saturday saw the second outing for Wellington’s revived farmers’ market. The first, last month, had been short on stalls – the clash with Shifnal’s market didn’t help, and one stall holder who’d booked three whole pitches didn’t show. But… 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
Still simmering…
Hi everyone. You might have noticed the soup’s been bubbling less vigorously these last few weeks – I’ve been moving house and also getting into some serious Midsummer Fayre planning. But there will… Continue reading
‘Events, dear boy, events’…
…That’s what prime minister Harold Macmillan famously told a journalist who asked what he most feared for his government. But he might just as well have been asking the question ‘What makes Wellington… 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
Eat, drink and be Jerry: a message from your new Ale Taster
A couple of years ago, a few of us in Wellington H2A had the idea to revive the post of town ale taster. It is a post first recorded in Wellington in 1345, and… 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
Operation ‘Paint the Town’: putting some colour into Wellington’s cheeks
Like most towns, the buildings that make up the centre of Wellington are a bit of a hotch-potch: some are relatively modern, most are Victorian and Georgian, and some, like Subway on Market Square and the… Continue reading
History on the Hoof – or – behind the scenes of Charter Day
I’ve been managing to post at least one article a week since starting this blog in early January, but unfortunately broke that discipline for the first time last week. Some late evenings at… 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
Vital signs: what your shop front says about you!
We’re always taught not to judge a book by its cover, but how about a bookshop? I’d argue that Number Eight Books in Crown Street is the most attractive looking shop in the… 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
Take your partners: what does the ‘co-operative council’ mean for us?
Telford & Wrekin Council is ones of several in England to call itself a ‘cooperative council’. But what exactly does that mean for towns like Wellington? I spoke to council cabinet member Shaun… 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
Fruit & veg versus health & safety (and why a little bit of clutter does you good)
The Shropshire Star bristled last week with news that traders in Wellington’s New Street had received letters from the borough council warning them to remove displays in front of their shops or face… Continue reading
What might Mary Portas recommend for Wellington’s high street?
Giving you a rest from the ramblings of your usual blogger, today we welcome a guest writer in the guise of local councillor Mike Ion (he’s a Labour councillor, but note that similar contributions… Continue reading
A 21st century project for a 14th century building?
Across the country, people in rural areas are coming together to save their local village shops by turning them into not-for-profit enterprises. In towns, we’re fortunate that we don’t need to do that… Continue reading
Designing Wellington: making every brick count
Building a thriving town is about many intangible things – building confidence, building neighbourliness, building networks between people and organisations. But we shouldn’t overlook the obvious stuff too – like how we build actual buildings. Since… Continue reading
Heritage in the high street: a social enterprise idea
Shops make a high street. When the shops are good and varied and busy, the high street thrives; when they are not, it feels drab and uninviting. The problem is that much of the UK’s traditional… Continue reading
2012: The year of the Wellington Renaissance…
Welcome to 2012 and to this new blog dedicated to documenting the Wellington Renaissance as it happens! Why now? Well, the town is beginning 2012 in a genuinely confident mood, and we want to capitalise on… Continue reading