Shrewsbury literary lunch on the menu

I am now a convert to blogs. Just 24 hours since setting up this site I was amazed to have more than 220 hits from all over the world, including Albania, Hong Kong, America, Canada, Isle of Man, Guernsey, France and Germany.

However, I was particularly delighted to receive a message from Caroline Thewles inviting me to have my book as one of three for sale at the Shrewsbury Summer Season’s Literary Lunch in the Lion Room, pictured below, at The Lion Hotel on Thursday, July 7.

Caroline was a good supporter of the Shrewsbury Chronicle when I was editor and it was great talking to her again.

I was also pleased to be supporting this annual arts extravaganza as it brought back memories of when the then Chief Executive of Shrewsbury and Atcham District Borough Council, Robin Hooper, and I starred in a play I had written for the 2007 Shrewsbury Summer Season.

Called A Bridge Too Far it was the true story in 1795 of the demolition of the first Welsh Bridge, the re-building of the new one and the ensuing problems as told by Thomas Wood, the first Editor of the Chronicle, and the Town Clerk at the time, Thomas Loxdale. I played the part of Thomas Wood while Robin Hooper was Thomas Loxdale.

Amazingly, we had a full house in the Lion Hotel Ballroom four years ago to watch my amateurish attempts to be an actor and an old editor.

More than 80 guests have already bought tickets to hear the philosophical gardener and celebrated author Mirabel Osler and the historian and designer Sir Roy Strong discussing Mirabel’s recently published memoir, The Rain Tree, as part of this year’s festival.

I am honoured that my book will be alongside Mirabel’s and Sir Roy’s latest books.

For more details of the lunch go to http://www.shrewsburysummer.co.uk or phone 01743 353424.

Thanks for all your emails. I look forward to reading your comments.