Entrance to Shrewsbury Castle, Saturday 10th June 2023 (Author’s Collection).
Sometimes, just sometimes, you get lucky in this game we call life, and Saturday was one of those fortunate moments. You see, since seeing the painting “Reflections of Elephants” or “Swans Reflecting Elephants” by Salvador Dali as a late teenager, I’ve been a gushing fan at the altar of all things from the surrealist master. Obsessed way beyond the point whereby that word has any meaning left, but blinkered to other art as to be wholly out of my depth when other artists are considered or discussed, Salvador Dali is the way and the life, and I find the whole mythos surrounding him endlessly fascinating. I have a tattoo of the great man on my right lower leg and which in the Summer months brings with it a large enough volume of complimentary comments and admiring glances. Last Friday in fact a semi-retired teacher by the name of Paul remarked upon my tattoo as we passed like canal boats in the night and ambled past each other on the canal side of the Shropshire Union Canal approaching Wheaton Aston. This naturally allowed me the opportunity to tell the “story” behind the tattoo (I’ll save it for another day) and of course to point out that the painting that started my odyssey with the surreal, “Swans Reflecting Elephants” or “Reflections of Elephants” is incorporated within a tattoo I’m incredibly proud of, if only for the fact it resides heartily on my lower leg and I had no artistic involvement with it! I just get to show it off in the Summer months!
Shrewsbury you say? Oh she was fabulous in the sunshine as she always is. From the castle and the library through the Abbey and a wander along the River Severn, this was a perfect morning stroll in the sunshine with my favourite teenager in all the world, and someone who puts up with me as a surreal Father.
Care to take a pictorial stroll in the sunshine of Shrewsbury with a Salvador Dali obsessed Englishman?
Keep still my beating heart. “Surrealist Piano” by Salvador Dali.
Shrewsbury Castle, gleaming in the Saturday sunshine! “Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone castle. It stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. The castle, directly above Shrewsbury railway station, is a Grade I listed building”.
In the grounds of the castle: “Eagle from Minden Barracks, Cologne. AD 1925”.
To a surrealist’s eye, this looks like a boot! But this is “Laura’s Tower” and a look-out post high above Shrewsbury Castle.
A wide view of Shrewsbury Library with Charles Darwin sitting pretty at the entrance.
“Shrewsbury Library is housed in a Grade I listed building situated on Castle Gates near Shrewsbury Castle. The site was the home of Shrewsbury School from 1550 to 1882”.
One of the many art “trails” and pointers to “Places of Interest” that dot this historic market town on the banks of the River Severn.
The bust of local poet and novelist Mary Webb overlooking a grand backdrop and entrance way to the Castle.
This is where you sing the old ditty “messing about on the river!”. The River Severn to be precise, with the United Reformed Church of Shrewsbury towering over the “English Bridge” that leads, left to right, into the heart of the town.
Inside Shrewsbury Abbey Part 1: “There has been a place of worship on this site since Anglo-Saxon times”.
Inside Shrewsbury Abbey Part 2: “The Abbey was founded as a Benedictine Monastery by Roger de Montgomery in 1083 on the site of an existing Saxon church”.
Inside Shrewsbury Abbey Part 3: “After the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of King Henry VIII the part of the Abbey building which survived continued as a Parish Church — as it is to this day”.
View from the “English Bridge” and through the heart of the town of Shrewsbury.
View from “Kingsland Bridge” with the River Severn splitting Shrewsbury School Boat Club to your left and the wide open public park known as “The Quarry” to your right.
“Messing about on the river” once more and a view from “Kingsland Bridge” as the River Severn encircles this Shropshire market town.
A “Perfect Timing” moment on the River Severn.
The distinctive St Chad’s Church of Shrewsbury, as seen from “The Quarry”.
“The Dingle” inside The Quarry: Part 1.
“The Dingle” inside The Quarry: Part 2.
“The Dingle” inside The Quarry: Part 3.
“The Dingle” inside The Quarry: Part 4. “This statue is of Sabrina, the fabled goddess of the River Severn. Carved from stone by Peter Hollins of Birmingham in 1846 and donated by the Earl of Bradford to the people of Shrewsbury in 1879”.
View from “Porthill Suspension Bridge”.
The highly popular “Boathouse” pub and a couple “messing about on the river”.
Wider view of the suspension bridge or “bouncy bridge” with yet more patrons for fun in the Saturday sun.
“The Darwin Memorial Geo-Garden Quantum Leap”.
Thanks for the memories Shrewsbury.
My mate Salvador has his beady eyes on you!
Thanks for reading. There are now well over 100 articles contained within my “UK Travel” library or alternatively, please see the links below to my three most recently released articles from my local travels so far this Summer:
