Shrewsbury held the Inaugural Steampunk event in March 2018. As this was the first of its kind in this Shropshire town, it was smaller than similar events. It mainly took place in and around St Mary’s Church in the historic centre of town. Steampunk for the uninitiated is Victorian science fiction inspiring some creative costumes and artefacts. There was bizarre entertainment such as burlesque belly dancing, flame throwing and children’s activities. Inside the church were stalls selling a wide variety of unusual thingamajigs. We enjoyed tea and cakes in the cafe, which is run by “Battlefield 1403 Farm Shop & Deli.
The church itself is no longer consecrated but it is remarkably beautiful with magnificent stained glass, a carved oak ceiling, Victorian floor tiles and mediaeval stone carvings. The story goes that, in 1739, a local daredevil by the name of Robert Cadman came to an unfortunate end attempting to cross the river from a rope suspended from the spire of St Mary’s!
Shrewsbury is a lovely mediaeval town of cobbled alleys, squares, a castle, a museum, an art gallery, an old market hall and over 600 listed buildings. One of its most famous sons was Charles Darwin and his lookalike featured during the Steampunk event doing guided tours of his old school. The town has events throughout the year including a Folk Festival and most famously the Flower Show in Quarry Park by the River Severn, which was first held in 1875. I love the small independently run small shops where you can buy local crafts and Shropshire food. It is a place that we love to visit from time to time, particularly in December when St Chad’s Church has its Christmas tree festival.
