Mayor tells of fantastic visit

A fortnight ago I reported on an enjoyable morning showing two Shrewsbury mini mayors for the day round The Lion Hotel.

Thirteen-year-old Abbie Allford and 14-year-old Frankie Hutchings, both from Sundorne School, were chosen to accompany the Mayor and Mayoress of Shrewsbury, Cllr Tony Durnell and Mrs Tricia Durnell, on their civic duties.

I am delighted that the Mayor reported on the visit in his blog and in his column, Pride of Shrewsbury, in the Shrewsbury Chronicle.

This what he wrote in his blog.

Today we held another Mini Mayor day, this time it was with students from Sundorne School, Abbie and Frankie, both year nine students.

They were collected from their school by the Mayor’s Officer in the Mayoral car and taken to the Guildhall where they met with Tricia the Mayoress and myself, in the Mayor’s Parlour where the pair were shown the town’s silver collection.

We then left in the Mayor’s car for our fist engagement at The Lion Hotel, where we were to meet the hotel owner Howard Astbury and John Butterworth, a former editor of the Shrewsbury Chronicle for 12 years and the author of a book called Four Centuries at the Lion Hotel.

The four of us are pictured inside the hotel with owner, Howard Astbury.

We were given a tour of the outside areas of the hotel, explaining the way that stagecoaches to and from London came and went and that it took 15 hours and 45 minutes to cover the whole journey.

No motorways, just stagecoach pulled by four horses that had to be changed every 10 or 12 miles. No bearings on the wheels, so a bit of noise and vibration throughout the time you travelled and also no heating.

What it must have been like on the top in the cold and wet I hate to think.

We then went indoors to look at the fantastic ballroom where the violinist Paganini played there in 1833.

Charles Dickens stayed at the hotel on a number of occasions and we visited the Dickens suite where he wrote and where he slept. The two rooms were joined by a stairway.

We even stood on the small balcony that Dickens wrote home about.

Abbie and Frankie are pictured on the balcony looking down Wyle Cop.

Charles Darwin caught the stagecoach from outside The Lion to ensure he was able to sail with the Beagle.

Mr Astbury is an independent owner and has been patiently restoring the venerable old coaching inn.

Howard bought the hotel in 2006 and the changes already made have ensured that The Lion Hotel is right up there in the front when deciding where to either eat, stay or both.

After our visit to The Lion Hotel we walked through the town centre to the indoor Market Hall to have a tour around the shops/stalls within the Market.

We then went back to the Guildhall for lunch.

After lunch we visited the new Fire and Rescue Station in St Michael’s Street. We had a fantastic reception from all of the people who work there and they spent time showing us all around the new offices, control room and of course the engines themselves.

What a fantastic visit, one we all enjoyed.

To order a signed copy of Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel for the special price of £5 plus postage email John@jbutterworth.plus.com