Filming today with The Bald Explorer

It’s an exciting day today as I am being interviewed about my book for a short video on Shrewsbury.

Richard Vobes (pictured below), who is an entertainer, actor, independent film maker and Internet broadcaster, is making a video about the town as part of a web series called The Bald Explorer which he has pitched to the BBC.

The film-maker, who has produced more than 1,600 30-minute audio shows since January 2005, has already completed a video about Lewes in East Sussex (see www.BaldExplorer.com )

He records two podcasts, one simply called The Vobes Show (previously the Richard Vobes Radio Show) which is typically about 30 to 40 minutes in length and is broadcast from a beach hut in Worthing, West Sussex, while the other is a behind-the-scenes personal audio journal entitled The Naked Englishman.

In his recent blog (see http://vobes.com/blog.php ) Richard wrote: “I have been researching for the next video exploits of The Bald Explorer in Shrewsbury. The town is such a fascinating place and steeped in history. One particular focal point is naturally the busy coaching inn, The Lion Hotel, at the top of the curiously named street, Wyle Cop.

“Luckily for me some one has already done all the necessary research I could ever want and more. John Butterworth, ex-editor of the Shrewsbury Chronicle (12 years), has just published a wonderful account of the life of the county town's premier hotel, formerly known as the Red Lion, but now renamed simply as The Lion.

“I have seen this magnificent establishment dominate history books about Shropshire many times, with continual mentions to the characters that ran the various coaching services along the London to Holyhead road.

“Charles Dickens stayed there ensconced in the 'strangest little rooms' as he called it, describing the windows as if they were on the stern of a ship on account of the way that they bulged out on to the street.

Richard continued: “Charles Darwin caught a stagecoach early one morning outside The Lion on his way to sail onboard the famous ship The Beagle, which influenced not only his life but his view on natural selection and eventually led to the infamous book that so upset the clergy and other religious people of the time.

“Even the great Paganini gave a concert in the Ballroom in 1833 which was an incredible coup for the border town, among a host of other talented and renowned artists and musicians over the years.

He concluded: “I have set up to film an interview with John to talk about his book and the hotel for The Bald Explorer and I know that it will be a fascinating encounter.”