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
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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