Street to be shut as stagecoaches return

A Shrewsbury street will be closed to traffic when the glorious and colourful age of the stagecoach era returns to the town next month.

Wyle Cop will be shut off to modern vehicles on Friday afternoon, October 12, when two replica stagecoaches are due to arrive at The Lion Hotel around 3.30pm.

A total of 24 guests plus six support staff will be travelling on The Monarch, pictured below, and The Nimrod, which both used to come to Shrewsbury regularly in the late 18^th and early 19^th century.

The party, who are due to set out from The Manor House Hotel in Meriden, Warwickshire, on Monday, October 8, have been following the original stagecoach route across the Midlands calling in at many historic inns in Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire along the way.

Crowds are expected to line Wyle Cop to watch the stagecoaches arrive in Shrewsbury where they will be greet by the Town Mayor, Cllr Keith Roberts, aided by Town Crier  Martin Wood and Cllr Mike Owen, Shropshire Council portfolio holder for economic growth and prosperity.

“It will be a spectacular event and a great boost for the town’s tourism,” said Maggie Love, who has helped organise the Shrewsbury welcome.

The party will be joined by another 30 guests, for an end of tour dinner in the historic 18^th century Lion Ballroom, where I will give a talk about the hotel and its stagecoach connection.

After the dinner Maggie Love and Paul Saunders, alias Wynndebagge, will entertain the guests with music and songs from that era.

Afterwards they will teach guests the Horse’s Branle, a popular dance from earlier times.

“This is the first time we have done this historic Midlands stagecoach journey,” said Barbara Stockton, who is proprietor of the Monarch and joint organiser of the charity trip, “and we and all the guests are really looking forward to it.”

Barbara helps organise one or two coaching tours for the public every year with money going to Help for Heroes and the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund.

The Monarch used to run between Birmingham and Shrewsbury, while the Nimrod was also a regular visitor to The Lion.   

By the early 19^th century 23 coaches a day left Shrewsbury, including 15 from The Lion, for destinations all over the UK.

But the advent of the railways led to the end of the golden age of stagecoaches which culminated in a sale of coaches and horses at The Lion on July 27, 1861.

The most famous driver was Sam Hayward who was the only one who would drive up Wyle Cop and complete a semi circle at the top to steer the stagecoach into the back of the hotel parking area without stopping.

Fortunately for the guests arriving next Friday the drivers won’t be attempting a similar feat as the Monarch replica is slightly bigger than the original one and won’t fit under the archway.

Full itinerary

Monday, October 8

11.00am.Coaches depart from the Manor Hotel, Meriden

12.30pm. Mid morning stop at the Swan at Whitacre

1.30pm. Lunch at The Cock Inn Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield

4.00pm. Guests delivered to Moxhull Hall, Holly Lane, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield

Tuesday, October, 9

8.30am. Passengers taken to Moxhull Hall to the Hungry Horse Mitchell’s Art & Craft Centre, Weeford Road, Sutton Coldfield

9.00am. Coach will depart from Hungry Horse.

10.30am. Mid morning stop at the Bell at Whittington

11.45pm.  Lunch at Darnford Moors Golf Club

Depart 1.00pm for Lichfield

1.30pm. Arrive Lichfield

2.15pm. Depart Lichfield

3.30pm. Guests arrive at the National Memorial Arboretum, Croxall Road, Alrewas, before returning to: The George, Lichfield  

4.00pm. Horses to Catton Hall, Catton, Walton upon Trent, South, overnight stay for guests at Michael & Judi Neachell’s Wellfield House, Orgreave, Alrewas, near Burton upon Trent

Wednesday, October 10

9.00am Horses go to Catton Hall, guests taken to Catton Hall

9.30am Coaches depart Catton Hall 

10.30am. Mid morning stop at Barton Marina

12.30pm. Second morning stop at the Bull & Spectacles, Blithbury

1.15 pm. Lunch at The Chase Pub, Hagley Road, Rugeley

2.30pm. Depart The Chase

3.30pm. Mid afternoon stop at the Springslade Tea Shop, on the Chase

4.30pm. Guest delivered to: The Moat House, Acton Trussell 

Thursday October 11

Guests taken to Horsebrook Manor

10.00am. Coaches depart Horsebrook Manor

11.00am. Mid Morning Stop Boscobel House

12.15pm. Depart Boscobel

1.00pm. Lunch stop at Weston Park, Weston under Lizard, Shifnal

Depart lunch 3.00pm.

3.45pm. Guest delivered to the Park House Hotel, Shifnal  

Friday October 12

8.30pm. Guests taken to the Wyke Equestrian Centre

9.00am. Coaches depart

10.30am. Mid morning stop, Ironbridge

12pm. Lunch stop at The Wroxeter Hotel, Wroxeter

Depart 1.30pm

2.45pm. Mid afternoon stop The Mytton & Mermaid Pub, Atcham

3.30pm. guest delivered to The Lion, Shrewsbury

4.30pm.Horses driven to overnight stop:

8.00pm. Celebration end of tour dinner at The Lion, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury.

To find out more about the fascinating stagecoach link to The Lion Hotel signed copies of my book are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £7.50 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com 

King's burial site found under car park

The story about where King Richard III was laid to rest got even better this week after archaeologists discovered his church – under a car park in Leicester.

The dig to try to recover the body of the king, pictured below, who was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, has unearthed the long-lost Franciscan Friary where his coffin is believed to have been placed.

The exact whereabouts of the friary, also known as Grey Friars, has been lost over time, but now a team from the University of Leicester believe they have found it.

Richard Buckley, the project’s lead archaeologist, said: “The discoveries leave us in no doubt we are on the site of Leicester’s Franciscan Friary.”

After digging three trenches in the council car park the experts have found evidence of a passageway with a tiled floor, indicating a cloister walk.

He added: “Finding the choir and high altar is now especially important as that is where Richard III is recorded as having been buried.”

It brought back memories of the story in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel when Henry Tudor decided to cross from Wales into England at Shrewsbury in August 1485 on his way to do battle with Richard III, pictured below, at Bosworth Field.

But Shrewsbury’s then first resident, Thomas Mytton, refused to let him over the Welsh Bridge, saying: “We know no King but Richard, Henry Tudor shall not enter this town but over my belly,” i.e. over his dead body.

However, after seeing Henry’s large army and following advice from colleagues he decided it was more prudent to let Henry into Shrewsbury.

So as not to lose face, Mytton lay in the road on the bridge ‘belly upward’ for Henry to step over him.

The royal visitor is believed to have stayed at Tudor House, which is still there on Wyle Cop below The Lion, before marching to Bosworth where Richard III was killed.

After the battle Henry became Henry VII, ending the War of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.

To find out more about this Shrewsbury link to Richard III signed copies of the book are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £7.50 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com  

Dickens separation letter found in Bible

I was interested to read in this week’s Daily Telegraph that an unknown letter from Charles Dickens had been found between the pages of a second-hand paperback Bible.

It was discovered by Cotswold resident, Dr Jackie Sheehan, who had been given the book by an elderly neighbour in Blockley, Gloucestershire.

Dickens, pictured below, sent the note to his solicitor, Frederic Ouvry, in May 1858 wanting to leave his wife, Catherine, after falling for an 18-yearold actress, Ellen Ternan.

The author, who stayed on a number of occasions at The Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury, offered his wife a settlement of £600 a year, equivalent to around £25,000 today.

He spoke contemptuously of his wife, who had given birth to their ten children, saying the sum would allow her to maintain her ‘Brougham’, a horse-drawn carriage, in style.

His wife found out about the affair when a bracelet Dickens had bought for Ternan was delivered to the family home.

Within days of writing the letter Dickens legally separated from his wife and remained with Ternan until he died.

Dr Sheehan, who is offering the letter for sale, said: “This little paperback Bible was in a batch of books which my sister’s mother-in-law was given by an elderly neighbour who moved into residential care seven or eight years ago.

“Earlier this year she was having a clear-out and the letter fell out.”

How the letter ended up in the Cotswolds is a mystery as Dickens had no links to the area.

It will be sold by Fraser’s Autographs of London on Thursday, September 27, when it is expected to fetch between £1,000 and £1,500.

To find out more about the Dickens link to Shrewsbury signed copies of my book, Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £7.50 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com 

Record sale of books at festival

With more and more Christian festivals every year one of the friendliest has to be Gorsley Festival, near Ross-on-Wye, on the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire border.

Gorsley Chapel Baptist Church, which is only half a mile from junction one of the M50, again provided a top line-up for five days over the August Bank Holiday.

Jan and I ranthe European Christian Mission stand (pictured below) for the third year running and we were given a brilliant welcome.

Senior Minister John Lewis and his team at the Baptist Church, which has an average weekly congregation of more than 450, put on a well-run festival.

It ranged from a stunning flower display in the church to an in-flight simulator provided by Mission Aviation Fellowship as well as a first class worship and teaching session for all ages.

Groups attending were as diverse as Gloucester Christian Motorcyclist Association,  Newent Choir plus the Good News Centre, also from nearby Newent.

The leadership was a family effort as the Rev Dr Clive Calver, now senior pastor at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, Connecticut, USA, and his son Gavin gave the teaching on the Good News and the Kingdom while Clive’s wife, Ruth, led some of the seminars.

On Saturday night the main marquee was packed to overflowing for an evening concert with Graham Kendrick.

The whole site was buzzing as coach parties arrived on a day trip from South Wales to see the flowers while the campsite was packed with those staying for the whole festival.

I confess we weren’t braved enough to camp, preferring to stay at the nearby 19^th century Malswick Mill, a first class bed and breakfast location complete with its own carp lake.

There were many visitors to the mission tent and for a break there was always the food area nearby where tables were heaving with home-made cakes, cream teas and local produce.

It was a great success for us in that we almost ran out of literature on the ECM stand handing out more than 120 magazines.

One day it was good to meet up with some old friends from Shrewsbury when a coachload came to the festival and I managed to sell them some copies of Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel.

But we were there mainly to promote ECM and to sell copies of God’s Secret Listener, published by the Monarch Division of Lion Hudson in Oxford, of which I am delighted to say I sold a festival record of 126 books.

Shrewsbury link to Richard III mystery

I was interested to read the story over the weekend that historians believe they have finally discovered where King Richard III is buried – under a car park in Leicester.

It brought back memories of the story in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel when Henry Tudor decided to cross from Wales into England at Shrewsbury in August 1485 on his way to do battle with Richard III, pictured below, at Bosworth Field.

But Shrewsbury’s then first resident Thomas Mytton refused to let him over the Welsh Bridge, saying: “We know no King but Richard, Henry Tudor shall not enter this town but over my belly,” i.e. over his dead body.

However, after seeing Henry’s large army and following advice from colleagues he decided it was more prudent to let Henry into Shrewsbury.

So as not to lose face, Mytton lay in the road on the bridge ‘belly upward’ for Henry to step over him.

The royal visitor is believed to have stayed at Tudor House, which is still there on Wyle Cop below The Lion, before marching to Bosworth where Richard III was killed and the last medieval king of England was buried in a Franciscan friary in the area.

However, the friary was knocked down during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and it is believed the most likely site for the church is the car park of a county council social services office in the centre of Leicester.

Archaeologists from Leicester University, along with members of the Richard III Historical Society, hope the two-week excavation will change the way the monarch is viewed historically, who is traditionally seen as a tyrant who murdered his way to the throne, disfigured by a hunchback and withered arm.

If any remains of the king are found, his DNA will be matched against that of Joy Ibsen, a 16^th century generation descendant of Anne of York, the sister of Richard III.

Mrs Ibsen died four years ago aged 82 and her son, 55-year-old Michael, watched the dig begin.

After the battle of Bosworth Field Henry became Henry VII, ending the War of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.

To find out more about this Shrewsbury link to Richard III signed copies of The Lion Hotel book are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £7.50 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com 

Memories of a cheating Tory MP

A friend of mine came round specially to see me this week after he had read Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury.

Keen fisherman Len Handy enjoyed the stories in the books about Shrewsbury’s most eccentric MP, John ‘Mad Jack’ Mytton, who was born at Halston Hall, near Oswestry, as he fished the lake there regularly, pictured below.

‘Mad Jack’ was born on September 30, 1796, and as he father died when he was two he inherited the family seat which was worth about £60,000 then and £5m today, he had few financial worries.

In 1819, he decided to continue the family tradition by becoming MP for Shrewsbury and was easily elected – helped no doubt by offering constituents £10 each if they would vote for him and spending £10,000 on bribes, equivalent to £750,000 today.

He celebrated at being elected MP in typical Mad Jack fashion. While he was being carried shoulder high by the enthusiastic burgesses back to The Lion Hotel for a celebratory dinner, he leapt from on high into the hotel bar through the window in a shower of glass.

Charles G Harper says in his book The Holyhead Road (Chapman and Hall 1902): “No one was surprised for his was a freakish nature; but they would have been astonished if he had walked in, in the normal way, by the door.”

‘Mad Jack’ found the debates boring and attended Parliament only once – and that was for just 30 minutes. He preferred to spend his time horse racing, gambling and hunting and his horse Euphrates won The Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1825.

He also enjoyed playing practical jokes and challenging his friends to a wager in a carriage race round the Halston Hall estate, which ‘Mad Jack’ always won.

The Conservative MP easily beat his friends because he took a short cut along a path he had built at the bottom of the lake.

My friend Len from Stone said the path in the lake can still be seen there today.

If you would like to read more about ‘Mad Jack’ and other stories about this fascinating hotel signed copies of the book are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £7.50 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com 

Anniversary of amazing Lion hotel concert

Tonight 179 years ago an amazing concert took place in the Ballroom of The Lion.

The famous Signor Niccolo Paganini, pictured below, gave a concert in the balcony at the Shrewsbury hotel on August 15, 1833, on his way from Italy to St Petersburg in Russia.

Visitors can still see today this Assembly Room, or Ballroom, which has changed little since it was built in 1777.

They can look at the same delicate colouring on the walls and the emblematic figures of Music and Dancing painted on the door panels, the two music galleries, the chandeliers and the moulded plaster decorations in the Robert Adam style.

They can imagine what it must have been like when the famous Signor Niccolo Paganini gave a concert as advertised in the August 9, 1833, edition of the Shrewsbury Chronicle.

It said: Under distinguished patronage, Signor Paganini respectfully announces to the Nobility and Gentry of Shrewsbury that he will give a Grand Vocal and Instrumental Concert at the Lion Ballroom on Thursday evening, August the 15^th being positively the only time he can possibly have the honour of appearing before them previous to his departure for the Court of St Petersburg on which occasion he has engaged those highly  celebrated Vocalists, Miss Wells and Miss Watson, likewise Mr Watson, composer to the Theatres Royal, English Opera House and Covent Gardens, and member of the Royal Academy of Music who will preside at the Piano Forte.

Tickets 2/6d each (12.5p today) may be had at Mr Eddoes, Corn Market, Shrewsbury. The concert will commence precisely at 8 o’ clock.

As can be seen from the advertisement they preferred long sentences in the first part of the 19^th century.

To get Niccolo Paganini, a 19^th century equivalent to a rock star today, must have been an incredible achievement for Shrewsbury.

The musician, born in Genoa, Italy, on October 27, 1782, had dramatically changed the writing of violin music, astounding audiences with techniques that included harmonies and near impossible fingerings and bowings.

His Caprice No. 24 in A Minor, Op. 1, is among his best compositions, a work that has inspired many top composers.

As a former Editor of the Shrewsbury Chronicle I eagerly turned to the August 16, 1833, edition of the paper to see how the equivalent to the then arts critic treated this amazing concert coup for the town.

The first time I looked through the paper I missed it. But on the second time of searching I found what I thought was the beginning of the review at the bottom of page three.

Without a headline it said: “Paganini Concert at the Lion Rooms, last night, was crowded, not only by the first families in the county, but by many from Montgomeryshire and other parts of the Principality.”

I immediately scanned up to the top of the page for the continuation of the story. But there was nothing.

I was speechless, but I wouldn’t have been if I had been the paper’s editor in 1833 when the reporter arrived in the office the next morning after obviously burning the midnight oil to produce that paragraph.

Incidentally, the Shrewsbury Summer Season re-enacted the Paganini concert on Friday, August 15, 2008, at The Lion to celebrate the 175^th anniversary of the event.

Organised by Maggie Love, then the Arts Development Officer at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, the concert attracted a sell-out audience at the hotel as violin virtuoso Madeleine Easton, helped by musicians Claire Surman and Gary Cooper, played the exact violin pieces performed by Paganini in 1833.

Visitors to the hotel today can see the original programme, pictured below by Richard Bishop, on display in the reception.

If you would like to learn more about this fascinating hotel signed copies of the book are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £8 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Lion link to Derek's family tree?

I never cease to be amazed by the number of messages and requests for help I receive through my blogs.

This week a Telford man emailed me to order a copy of my book, Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, and asked me to ring him as he wanted some help.

He ended his message cryptically: “My surname will give you a clue as to why I want you to call. Regards Derek Ashby.

I immediately thought of Shrewsbury solicitor John Ashby, who lived from 1722 until 1779, was town mayor from 1759-60, town clerk from 1767 until his death 12 years later and owner of The Lion.

Derek wondered if he was relative of John and asked me for any information I had about him.

I immediately sent him a copy of the research on the hotel done by local historian, W E ‘Bill’ Champion.

It is thanks to the Shrewsbury Chronicle  that we know John Ashby owned the hotel.

In its November 29, 1777, edition it states: “Last week was erected, over the new and elegant Assembly Room, at The Lion Inn in this town, on a beautiful pedestal, decorated with the arms of John Ashby Esq., a highly finished statue of a lion, larger than life, executed by Mr John Nelson, statuary carver of this place.

“This statue, and another of the same size and elegance, do great credit we think to the artist, as well as to the generous and public-spirited employer.”

That is all the Chronicle says, but it has helped historians in their research on the hotel.

In September 1775 Ashby employed William Haycock to erect a new inn on the site complete with a large Assembly Room, or Ballroom, which can still be seen today and has little changed since the late 18^th century.

When Ashby died on January 29, 1779, he left behind a fine reputation.

The Chronicle reported that: “He was a gentleman, whose exemplary virtues and amiable qualities are a more lasting monument of his good name, than any eulogy can express.”

However, his financial affairs were not so good and many of his homes and furnishings had to be sold to pay off the debts, including Sycamore Hotel, pictured below, the octagonal building at the rear of the hotel which he left to his wife and which can still be seen today.

All the best Derek with your research into your family tree and wouldn’t it be great if you were related to John Ashby of The Lion?

If you would like to read more about John Ashby and The Lion Hotel signed copies of my book can be ordered through John@jbutterworth.plus.com at the special price of £6.50 including postage anywhere in the UK and £8 anywhere in the world. 

84 Chinese teachers hear hotel's history

I was very honoured when hotel owner Howard Astbury rang me last Thursday evening to invited me to address 84 Chinese teachers who were having a lunch at The Lion on the Friday.

The Chinese had given up their six-week summer holiday to come on a teacher-development course at the University of Wolverhampton.

I made a mental note to mention that fact to my British friends who are teachers.

Daphne Laing, Director at the university’s Centre for Language and Communication Training, said they normally took their visitors to London for a celebration day out at the end of the course.

Because it might be too difficult this year with the Olympics they opted to spend their time in Shrewsbury instead.

After a tour around the town the group, pictured below, had a Chinese meal in the historic hotel ballroom and then spent the afternoon going round the shops.

Before lunch I gave a talk on the history of the hotel and the many famous guests who had stayed there.

They were fascinated by how old The Lion was and that they were dining in a ballroom built in 1777.

I was amazed that most of them had read some of Charles Dickens’ books, knew all about Charles Darwin and had even heard of Niccolo Paganini who gave a concert in the ballroom on Thursday, August 15, 1833, while the famous musician was on his way from Italy to St Petersburg, Russia.

It was also interesting to hear from Daphne how popular the English teacher training courses were with the Chinese and how numbers had doubled in the last year.

Naturally, my book, Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel , was on sale and I hope it will help the fame of this historic building and town spread to China.

How's about that then, gals and boys

I was intrigued to read in The Times yesterday all the various items sold at the auction of the late Sir Jimmy Savile’s belongings.

Sir Jimmy, who died just before his 85^th birthday last year, had asked that many of his possessions carry on making money for charity after his death.

The entertainer, pictured below, whose story of his visit to Shrewsbury is told in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, had many of his colourful items put under the hammer by Dreweatts, the auctioneer.

 More than 350 bidders packed the Savile Hall, Leeds, while there were another 700 waiting online.

Star item was the silver Rolls Royce the DJ called The Beast, which went to an online bidder for £130,000, more than £40,000 above the maximum estimate. The personalised number plate of JS 247 was after Radio One’s original medium wave frequency.

His yellow BMW Isette bubble car fetched £22,000 while other lots included golden suits, patriotically coloured string vests, sunglasses, boxes of Cuban cigars, underwear, a BBC1 Jim’ll Fix It badge, a Rolex watch and the red Jim’ll Fix It chair.

The auctioneers, who were anxious to stage a “great spectacle” in the spirit of the disc jockey’s funeral, certainly achieved that.

60-year memories of a 21st party

While I was representing the European Christian Mission at the Keswick Convention last week I was delighted to receive a call from Margaret Austin asking to buy a copy of Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel.

She found a review of the book in an old copy of  the Shropshire Life magazine and I sent a copy to Margaret, who now lives in Hereford.

She wrote back saying: “I was delighted with both the prompt arrival of Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel and the book itself.

“It’s 60 years since my twin sister and I celebrated our 21^st birthday in the Adam Ballroom, pictured below by Richard Bishop, at the hotel. However, my joie-de-vivre remains.”

Margaret said the book brought back memories of many happy evenings at the hotel.

She noted that I had been Editor of the Shrewsbury Chronicle for 12 years and added that as a seasoned member of the Mary Webb Society she recalled being entertained by the Bournes when they lived near Pontesbury. Mr Derrick Bourne had been Editor of the paper for many years.

Did you celebrate a party, attend a dinner or go to the hotel’s famous dances during the 1950s and 1960s then email your memories to John@jbutterworth.plus.com

If you would like to order a signed copy of the book for £6, including postage within the UK or £7 anywhere in the world also email the address above.

When 30,000 arrived at Wem by train

One hundred and fifty one years ago today a shooting contest and feast took place at Hawkstone Park which was talked about for many years afterwards.

More than 30,000 travelled on special trains to Wem on June 28, 1861, some of whom were persuaded to attend after Lord Hill, the Lord Lieutenant of the county, offered to pay out of his own pocket for the food and drink for the 1,200 Volunteers.

They were members of the Volunteer force which had been raised in 1859 when it was feared the French might invade England.

During the next two years, 18 volunteer rifle corps was formed in Shropshire. Two of them, the 1^st Corps and the 17^th, had headquarters in Shrewsbury and later became the 1^st and 2^nd Shropshire Volunteer Battalions of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.

The list for the 1^st Shropshire Volunteer Corps had 130 names, including 29 railway company clerks, workers from the Post Office, banks and the Inland Revenue, 14 solicitors, a barrister, five engineers, four gentlemen, two bankers, two school teachers, a dentist, a farm and the railway superintendent – but not one shop worker.

Numbers had increased rapidly in 1860 throughout Britain with 70,000 Volunteers by February that year, and 200,000 by November.

Patriotism and the chance to wear a uniform were two of the attractions to encourage the volunteers to join up, but the main one was the social side of joining the Corps with bazaars, dinners, fetes, an annual camp in July, a ball in February and a county rifle competition at Hawkstone Park, pictured below.

It certainly was a memorable spread put on by Lord Hill’s team. Newspaper reports said the tables groaned under the weight of the huge joints of meat and the Volunteers were able to help themselves to as much Hawkstone ale as they wanted, while picnics of  pigeon pies and pasties, lobster salad, sherry and champagne were held all over the park.

 It was probably fortunate the shooting contest began at 12 noon before the ale was served.

As one journalist at the event reported: “Never has such a sight been seen in Shropshire before, and we fear it will be many a long day before such a one will be seen again.”

There’s more about this story in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, signed copies of which may be bought for £5 plus postage by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Hotel's asking price is cut

I was interested to see in the Shropshire Star this week that the asking price for The Lion Hotel has been cut by more than £450,000 from £2.95 million to £2.495 million.

Owner 67-year-old Howard Astbury applied for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement to settle his debts and the historic Shrewsbury hotel, pictured below, was put up for sale six months ago.

The hotel is believed to have received two bids already but Gavin Wright of Birmingham-based Christie & Co told the newspaper that the hotel’s price had been reduced in a bid to attract more interest from potential buyers.

If the Wyle Cop hotel is not sold within the next 12 months it will be put up for auction to ensure that all the creditors are paid.

No members of the 40 staff are expected to lose their jobs through the sale of the Grade I listed building which has 59 bedrooms, 45-space car park, an 18^th century ballroom plus conference facilities.

For more details contact Christie & Co on 0121 456 1222.

My lecture raises £600 for appeal

I was delighted to receive an email recently from Professor John Patrick after I gave a lecture to the Friends of St Chad’s in Shrewsbury to help their fundraising project.

The church has so far raised £1.2 million during phase one of the project of a campaign to restore the unusual tower on one of the town’s most historic churches, pictured below.

More than 75 people attended the evening in the church when I spoke about the town’s three treasures from the 18^th century – the Shrewsbury Chronicle founded in 1772, The Lion Hotel redeveloped in 1777 and St Chad’s rebuilt in 1792.

All three have a fascinating history but especially St Chad’s. In 1788 Thomas Telford warned that the tower was in danger of collapsing – and a few weeks later it did on July 9 that year.

A mix-up by members of the parochial church council meant that Scottish architect George Stewart built a round church rather than the rectangular one they thought they were getting.

I think many people will agree that the PCC got a more spectacular church in the end.

Renowned architectural scholar Sir Nikolaus Pevsner certainly agrees, saying: “It’s one of the finest neo classical churches in Britain which occupies an uncommonly beautiful position.”

One of the most famous members of the congregation was Charles Darwin, who attended the church with his mother Susannah after being baptised there in 1809.

To stop history repeating itself and the tower falling down again members of the congregation have been appealing for grants and have  held a number of fundraising events.

They have done brilliantly raising £1.2 million so far and I wish them all the best with the remainder of their efforts.

My talk was well received and I really enjoyed the evening.

However, I was delighted when Professor Patrick wrote to say: “We at St Chad’s will always be in your debt!  We are not yet quite sure how much we 'made' on Monday night. It would be at least £600. So you have helped the cause a great deal! Thus, many thanks.”

If any other group would like to hear my talk on The Three Treasures of Shrewsbury email John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Charity CD to buy a cow

I was delighted to hear this week from a friend who was on the same Albania trip as I was in May 2008 and who has come up with a novel way to help the church in Lushnje.

Janet King, a trustee with the European Christian Mission and a member of her village choir, has helped produce a charity CD with the profits going to help a poor family buy a cow.

She said the visit made a lasting impact on her and she enjoyed meeting Berti Dosti, leader of the Rruga e Paqes (Way of Peace) Church and founder of Victory School, whose story is told in my other book God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Monarch of Oxford. 

Janet wrote in an email: “In Lushnje I found a group of people determined to make the world around them a better place for many families and young people with a variety of social, community and educational projects.

  

“Recently, with the help of aid from Holland they have rebuilt two primary schools in local villages.  

“Now the Cow for Life Project (CFLP) is one of their latest initiatives aimed at helping poor families from two villages by providing them with a cow which is either in calf or has a calf.” 

She added: “During a visit in August 2011 I was privileged to see ‘Daisy’, pictured below, as we called her, being delivered to one such family in Bitaj. 

“It was amazing.  To receive a cow is life changing for such poor families who suddenly find themselves able to have fresh milk, butter and yogurt. 

“If all goes to plan, Daisy’s first two calves will be sold and the proceeds put into buying another healthy cow in calf for another needy family.”

Janet said that when about 20 members of Burton Village Choir, pictured below, came together to make music for the St James' Carol Service at Ab Kettleby, Leicestershire, in December 2010 it was such fun that they met up  again in November 2011 to practise another five songs for Christmas.

“It seemed a pity to stop there,” added Janet, “we were enjoying ourselves so much we decided to keep going.

“We wanted to share something of our joy in making music to try to help others less fortunate than ourselves.”

They joined forces with nearby St Mary’s Choir in Melton Mowbray and this CD is the result.

All the proceeds from this CD, entitled You Raise Me Up will go towards the Cow for Life Project.

No money will go in administration fees as it will be transferred directly by Janet to a special CFLP account held by The Way of Peace Church.

The project has gone so well that they hope to raise enough money to buy two cows.

For more details on how to buy a CD for £10 email janetking476@btinternet.com 

Time for tea at a National Trust house

The most interesting location where I have given a talk recently has to be Sunnycroft, in Wellington, Shropshire.

This substantial red-brick villa is a typical, small suburban gentleman’s residence from the late-Victorian era which is now managed by the National Trust.

I was invited to speak about my books by the Sunnycroft Afternoon Tea Group, some of whom are pictured below.

I had been once before to this villa whose contents and decorations have been largely unaltered for more than 100 years.

But it was good to see the place without the visitors streaming through – over Easter they had more than 1,000 people come in during the four days.

It was also interesting talking to some of the 100 volunteers who help keep the house and gardens in first class condition as well as being guides and answering the visitors’ many questions.

I had a number of questions from the Tea Group after my talk on the Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, and I was delighted that I sold copies of that book and God’s Secret Listener published by Lion Hudson Monarch of Oxford.

As befitting this welcoming group we finished with a cup of tea and excellent home-made cakes.

It was a very pleasant afternoon – despite the torrential rain outside.

If you would like me to give a talk to your group on either the fascinating history of The Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury, or Albania – the country that was shut off from the rest of the world for 47 years or Editing the fourth oldest weekly paper in Britain email John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Making tracks for unusual press launch

I have had a different Monday this week when I went to a railway company’s press launch.

Long-standing friend Pete Mason asked me to write a press release last week for a group of Stone and Stafford railway enthusiasts for whom a 20-year dream is on track this weekend.

I thought I must attend and I was really impressed by the trains, the mile-long track and all the hard work put in by the group.

The Amerton Railway, near Stowe-by-Chartley had always wanted to own the land which it had been renting near Stafford to keep alive the Staffordshire railway heritage.

Now the owner of Amerton Farm & Craft Centre, Paul Williams, has agreed to sell the field on which the line runs to the Staffordshire Narrow Gauge Railway, of which Pete is one of the directors.

To celebrate this occasion the charity is holding a special open day this Saturday (May 5) for the public to see and ride behind a number of local historic engines.

At 1pm on Saturday (May 5) the Mayor of Stafford, Cllr Stan Highfield, will cut a celebratory ribbon to herald the next 20 years of narrow gauge railway heritage in Staffordshire.

It will be almost 20 years since the then Mayor of Stafford, pictured below, officially opened the railway on the Amerton site on March 27, 1993, by cutting a ribbon and making a speech from Isabel’s footplate before the train gave the mayoral party a special trip along the line.

“It will be a day of celebration and a great chance to thank all those who have helped make this dream happen,” said Derek Luker, chairman of the railway, who added that the money had been given by members and supporters plus a mortgage from the HSBC Bank.

 “It is also an opportunity to show the county’s tremendous railway heritage which is becoming a really popular tourist attraction,” added Derek.

He said the charity was staffed by volunteers whose aim was to restore, maintain and run narrow gauge locomotives.

The 115-year-old Isabel, which used to be on a plinth outside Stafford station, will be one of the engines giving rides on Saturday (May 5) from 12 noon to 5pm.

Built in 1897 by Bagnalls of Stafford the steam engine is now fully restored and will be operating most weekends at Amerton Railway along the mile-long track.

Two other engines will also be in steam on the day; Jennie built in Tamworth in 2008 and a 2007 Paddy vertical boiler while other diesels will be on display in the yard including:

Golspie built in 1935 by the Burton-upon-Trent firm of Baguley for the Trentham Gardens railway. When that railway closed, it moved to Alton Towers and then to Amerton, where the public can see it awaiting restoration.

Dreadnought, built in 1939 by Baguley, was used in Kent, Lancashire and Walton-on-the-Naze pier, Essex. It now works passenger trains on some Saturdays and will be running at the opening

Ernie’s Engine, the small Ruston diesel locomotive from Littleton Colliery, Cannock, is now used for shunting at Amerton.

Lorna Doone, the “Wren” class quarry loco which was moved from the Birmingham Science Museum to be restored in the Amerton workshops, was built in Stoke-on-Trent in 1922 by the locomotive manufacturer Kerr, Stuart and Co Ltd.

At the special opening day will be VIPs including County, Borough and Stafford Tourism officials, donors and members of the railway and representatives from HSBC Bank.

Youngsters with special needs from the Trinity Skills for Life in Stone were to enjoy the press launch together with local mums and babies who met through the National Childbirth Trust.

So far the launch has gone brilliantly with a page one picture story, pictured below, in the Express and Star tonight (Tuesday) plus a one-minute video clip on their video site.

It certainly helped that it was the only sunny day with blue skies for more than a week.

The Burton Mail has also given the railway good coverage and I am promised the Staffordshire Newsletter and other papers will also be running the story.

If you want a fun day out this Bank Holiday weekend for all the family do go to the open day at Amerton Farm & Craft Centre on Saturday afternoon.

Fascinating evening in Ludlow

I was delighted to be the guest speaker at this year’s annual meeting of The Ludlow Historical Research Group where I spoke about my two books, Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, and God’s Secret Listener published by Lion Monarch Publishing of Oxford.

Chairman Jonathan Wood, pictured below, gave me a warm welcome and I was impressed by this active group.

Founded in 1976, it has a vibrant membership and a very well respected programme of research and publishing.

They also lead weekend walks around this historic Shropshire market town.

I learnt that Ludlow was a planned Norman town and by the end of the 12th century a grid pattern of streets had been laid out which survive, virtually intact, to this day.

Members are encouraged to undertake research projects, either individually or as part of small groups.

Some of the topics currently being researched by our members include:

Records of Burgess Admissions: Four members have begun transcribing and analysing the records of the Burgesses (Freemen) of the Borough of Ludlow. When completed the transcription will be available and become an invaluable aid for work on Ludlow families and on the understanding of local politics.

Bastardy Bonds: The Bastardy Bonds have now been transcribed as far as 1745, and is approaching the stage of entering the details on to a database and analysing the results. A general pattern is already emerging. The unfortunate young women who made these applications to the parish for financial help were almost all illiterate hired servants. Putative fathers ranged from fellow servants and labourers to dragoons from the regiment of soldiers stationed at Leintwardine.

The Merchant House, Ludlow: The purpose of this study is to examine the construction, evolution and past occupancy of The Merchant House. This is a 15th century hall house that in more recent times gained international fame as Ludlow's first Michelin-stared restaurant and so played a key catalytic role in the creation of the town’s present gourmet status.

World War One Soldiers: An ongoing research project is looking into the backgrounds of the Ludlow men killed between 1914 and 1918 during the First World War.

I was also very impressed with the modern Ludlow Library and the excellent views over the town from the lecture room on the top floor.

My talk seemed to go down go well with a number of questions afterwards – and I also sold copies of both books making it an enjoyable and successful evening.

I also made a note to go on one of their town walks on a sunny weekend.