Today is slightly better - the sun is shining and the rain's holding off - but yesterday's rain and lashing wind didn't make for happy shoppers. Even in Waitrose and M & S, out of the stormy weather, shoppers failed to look happy. There was one place in town, however, where the festive spirit was in good supply. Welcome to Shrewsbury's indoor market, one of my favourite places in town.
Good morning Susan of Pengwern Books, with customer and local resident, Geoff Hardy. Good to see you looking like you're having fun.
Good morning Carla Risden of Compost & Gooseberry. Great to see you selling Linda Edwards' lovely cards and prints.
Good morning Birds' Nest Boys - every day of the year your cafe feels like Christmas but now even more so. Thanks for a year of twinkling lights.
Good morning Ian, of Barkworth's Seafoods. Your seasonal platters look great. Almost a year ago, Kate Gittings said I should taste your cooked mackerel. You had a real way with mackerel, she said - but I haven't got round to it yet.
Good morning Jean Jones of Antiques & Collectibles. If you're selling a nice piece of Coalport, I'll more than often pick it up, and I've meant to write about you all year long, but it's been a busy year and this, I'm sorry to say, is as close as I've got.
Shrewsbury market has everything from fresh dates to dressed crab, oysters and champagne to coffee and cake, free-from biscuits to home-made chocolates [good morning Julia], books [second hand books and records too], to turkeys, quails [and quail eggs] and even a choice of mobility scooters. You want a new rug? Give the market a try. You need a haircut? Carla's daughter will give you one and she'll give you a shave as well because she runs a proper cut throat barber shop, one of just a handful in the county. And what about Christmas - just about everything you could think of is right here at hand. Shrewsbury's indoor market, with its butchers, greengrocers, florists, fishmonger, pie-men and delicatessen is the place to come.
My Tonight From Shrewsbury could have devoted its entire year to writing about Shrewsbury market, its stallholders and its bustling life. Every stall has its story. It would have been great to tell them all. This isn't one of those synthetic pop-up markets you get in city centres with imitation log cabin-type bars with plastic windows, German sausages and beer at £4 a pint. This is a proper market. A market operating at the heart of town life, with a distinguished history and a future too. Happy Christmas, Shrewsbury Market. Thank you for another great year.
It was interesting this post, I currently live in Spain and hoping to be settling in Ludlow later this year.
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