Playing tourist guide in Toytown

Life’s little pleasures.

Life’s little pleasures.

Reflections from the “toytown” of Ironbridge, 15th April 2023 (Author’s Collection).

For four summer’s at the turn of the last decade I had the immense personal pleasure of playing unofficial “tourist guide” in a tiny toytown beside the River Severn that I have long called my spiritual home. With the bells of St Luke’s Church chiming quarterly and on the hour, every hour, making for the most perfect of audio backdrops, I simply took up residence in the best seat in the house, a bench I’ve selfishly named “Stephen’s Bench” on the viewing platform in front of the world’s oldest iron bridge, and, armed with a drink, a pack of smokes and a current book, I met hundreds upon hundreds of people from all four corners of our quixotically known round world. From the taking of photographs to informing my new found friends of the date the bridge was first unveiled to talking of the unique “aura” Ironbridge has to sharing my bench (my bench!), I had the incredible pleasure of sharing ten, fifteen or twenty minutes in the lives of Canadians, Australians, Americans and from any country or any continent you wish to name.

In short, I was in the very best seat the house had to offer, and I was in my element.

As I was today.

With my hometown of Portsmouth playing an away football fixture at nearby Shrewsbury, I insisted that Adam, one of my oldest friends at three long decades and more, simply had to stop off in Ironbridge en route to sample an atmosphere that only this tiny toytown on the banks of the River Severn can offer. Accompanied by his football fanatic daughter Aimee and friend and fellow “Pompey Blue” mate Freddie, I got to play tourist guide all over again as a whistle stop tour ensured we covered the “Toll House” museum, a stroll along the banks of the River Severn, a trip to the “Old Fashioned Sweet Shop” and several priceless pictures taken to mark a late morning into an early afternoon I couldn’t have enjoyed more. I was, after all, in my element.

I’d like to think that Adam, Aimee and Freddie came for the company of a fellow man of their fair city on the south coast of England or the unique aura and atmosphere that only Ironbridge can provide, but I rather think I enticed my old friend with the prospect of a piping hot bag of chips!

I’m sure it was all three of these elements and many more. I’d long looked forward to the visit of my old friend and after my beautiful son and I waved them off on their merry way and hopefully to three footballing points at Shrewsbury, I turned to my son and said that the hour we’d spent together was just about as perfect as can be and that I’d probably remind him of this another dozen or so times as the day wears on.

I think I beat this number easily on our short trip home!

Life’s little pleasures eh?

Here are just a taster for that perfect morning playing tourist guide in toytown:

Following the image that headlines this article, this is the opposite view as seen from the bridge itself and the River Severn flowing away from Ironbridge to nearby Jackfield, Coalport and the highly recommended historic town of Bewdley.

The same view through to Jackfield, Coalport and Bewdley, plus a reminder of the date for the world’s first and oldest iron bridge.

A reverse view and the River Severn flowing toward the nearby and equally famous town of Coalbrookdale.

“Messing about on the River”. And a cheery wave too!

My beautiful spiritual home.

The “Grand Old Lady” of Ironbridge.

A view I never, ever tire of from the centre of the bridge looking back onto the town itself.

The commemorative statue to the men and women of Ironbridge who lost their lives in the two World Wars.

A view from the commemorative statue and “Stephen’s Bench” (bottom left), the very best seat in the house.

A final view of the “Grand Old Lady”.

Your humble narrator with trademark upside down smile and in his element in his spiritual home.

Afterword

The time is currently 3.54pm and the half-time whistle has just blown at the “New Meadow Stadium”.

The half-time score is Shrewsbury 0 Portsmouth 0.

Come on my hometown Blues!

“Play up Pompey”

Thanks for reading. There are a wealth of articles within my “UK Travel” library here. Here are links to three of the most recently published examples:

Sunshine after the rain in beautiful Ironbridge
“Sail on silver girl. Sail on by”.medium.com

Easter in the sunshine of Shrewsbury
Historic market town springing into bloom.medium.com

Easter in the sunshine of Ironbridge
A selection of images to brighten your day!medium.com