Shrewsbury. Again.

The Old Market Hall

I had a nice, quiet night in Shrewsbury. After a wander along the old town wall, from which I was hoping to see a worthwhile view but didn't, I went to the Old Market Hall. An arthouse cinema and theatre, it's located in a 16th century building in the middle of the market square and on Tuesday was screening Danny Boyle's film Trance, which I hadn't yet seen. The hall had a nice cafe bar and they allowed drinks to be taken into the screen. Large merlot? Alright then. The screen was pretty cool, with suede seats and a wooden beam roof, but the film was so-so. Movie review: DONE.

After the film, I went into the Wheatsheaf for a quick pint with country & western music and got talking to a middle-aged couple who had been to the screening as well. Carol was very nice and shared my opinions of the film, while John looked like Abraham Lincoln and was always a couple of sentences behind the conversation.

You would not believe how big this plate was

Afterwards, I made my way back to The Old Post Office; the inn just round the corner that I'd managed to get a room in. £25 for the night with the biggest full English breakfast I've ever seen was an absolute bargain, and it was nice to sleep in a double bed for the third night in a row.

In the morning I walked up the hill to the castle, the oldest parts of which were built during the reign of William the Conqueror, and finally got to see a good view of the surrounding countryside. Shrewsbury is almost completely surrounded by the river Severn, horseshoeing its way around the town in a natural fortification which made it such a strategic stronghold for centuries. Carol had said to me she hoped her beloved town remained undiscovered so it could be preserved in its historical beauty and authenticity, and I think its the protection of the river, preventing the town becoming a thoroughfare, that has kept meddlesome expansion and development pleasantly at bay.

From the castle

The castle

The lovely train station

Do I dare? Course I do.