This Is Our Wellington 9

This is our
LOVE
Wellington
WELLINGTON: TWINNED WITH CHÂTENAY-MALABRY
Inside
Welcome to the new
Wellington Mayor
Wellington
celebrates the
Queen’s Platinum
Jubilee
Walking With Giants
in Wellington
Blooming good
times in Wellington
Summer 2022 | Issue Number 9

Wellington
Town Council
www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk
How to contact Wellington Town Council
Civic Offices, Larkin Way, Tan Bank, Wellington,
Telford, Shropshire TF1 1LX
Ward
Councillors
Do you know which Councillor represents
your Ward? See list of Councillors below,
contact details are via the Town Council.
ARLESTON WARD
Telephone: 01952 567697
Email: wellingtontowncouncil@telford.gov.uk
Cllr Joan
Gorse
Cllr Angela
McClements
Cllr Giles
Luter
www.facebook.com/WellingtonTCShropshire
COLLEGE WARD
twitter.com/WellingtonTCI
Wellington Town Council Officers
Cllr Dorothy Roberts
Mayor
Karen Roper
Town Clerk
Andrew Roberts
Deputy Town Clerk
Cllr Lee
Carter
Cllr John
Latter
Cllr Usman
Ahmed
Caroline Mulvihill
Communications and
Events Manager
Paola Armstrong
Wellington Festival and
Love Wellington
Steve Warwood Wellington Town Crier
Sally Themans
Love Wellington, Wellington
Regeneration & This is our
Wellington Magazine
DOTHILL WARD
02
www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk
www.lovewellington.co.uk
Cllr Phil Morris-
Jones MBE
Cllr Karen
Tomlinson
Cllr Lisa Jinks
Important Contacts and Numbers
ERCALL WARD
Rubbish and Recycling team – bins
Email: recyclefortelford@telford.gov.uk
Telephone: 01952 384384
Planning and Development
Telephone: 01952 380380
Email: planning.control@telford.gov.uk
Housing Solutions team
Telephone: 01952 381925
Neighbourhood and Enforcement
Services
Email: envmaintcs@telford.gov.uk
Telephone: 01952 384384 (office hours)
03451 559955 (out of hours)
Roads and Highways
Highways Maintenance team
Telephone: 01952 384000
Email: highways@telford.gov.uk
Cllr Miles
Hosken
Cllr Dorothy
Roberts
HAYGATE WARD
Cllr Sylvia
Hall
Birth, deaths and marriages
Telephone: 01952 382444
register.office@telford.gov.uk
Abandoned rubbish - Neighbourhood
and Leisure Services
Telephone: 01952 384384 (office hours)
or 03451 559955 (out of hours)
Email: recyclefortelford@telford.gov.uk
Child sexual exploitation
Telephone: 01952 385385
Citizens Advice Telford & The Wrekin
Telephone: 0300 330 1165
Telford and Wrekin Community Help Line
01952 382030
Family connect 01952 385385
Job Box 01952 382888
Mind 0300 1240365
Maninplace 01952 248248
Steer Clear knife crime 01952 214747
Street Link – homeless 0300 500 0914
Dog Fouling Telephone 01952 384384
(office hours) 03451 559955 (out of hours)
Email: envmaintcs@telford.gov.uk
Noise - Public Protection team
Telephone: 01952 381818
Email:
environmental.health@telford.gov.uk
Pest Control
Telephone: 01952 384384
Email: envmaintcs@telford.gov.uk
Citizens Advice consumer helpline
Telephone: 0808 223 1133
Wellington Library
Telephone: 01952 382990
Email: wellington.library@telford.gov.uk
Wellington Leisure Centre
Telephone: 01952 382720
Email: wellingtonleisure@telford.gov.uk
Cllr Graham
Cook
PARK WARD
Cllr Chris
Brittain
Cllr Stephen
deLauney
Cllr John Alvey
Cllr Julie
Pierce
SHAWBIRCH WARD
Cllr Pat
Fairclough
Cllr Crispin
Barker
Cllr Paul
Davis
Cllr Anthony
Lowe

Cllr Dorothy Roberts
A message from the Mayor of Wellington
Welcome from our new
Mayor of Wellington, Cllr
Mrs Dorothy Roberts
I
This is our Wellington has
been designed and printed by
Plus Two Media Limited.
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Limited
All text copyright
© Wellington Town Council
2022 / Love Wellington
Photographs supplied by Love
Wellington and Wellington Town
Council additional pictures from
Wrekin News / Plus Two Media
Limited archive.
For more information about
newsletter and brochure design
and printing please contact James
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Cover shot: Jubilee cake made by
Lynda Brench, Photo by Jackie
McCarthy, (p3) Lychgate picture
by Paul Davis.
The views expressed in This is Our
Wellington are those of the individual
contributors and not necessarily the
views of the Wellington Town Council,
Love Wellington or Plus Two Media
Limited.
am honoured to have been elected as
Mayor of Wellington and am keen to build
on our achievements in regenerating our
town. I have been interested for a long
time in supporting our lively community
spirit and will continue to do so. I would like to
thank the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Paul Davis, and
wish him well.
It has been a very busy few months in
Wellington, with the Wellington Festival taking
place in May – we must thank the festival
committee for their hard work in presenting
over 26 varied events and activities across
a wealth of venues. We were impressed by
the community production of the musical
‘Godspell’ at All Saints Church and applaud
the Wrekin Rowers for their bravery in rowing
the Atlantic and telling of their extraordinary
experiences at the Belfrey Theatre. All in
all a great festival and again thanks to the
committee and in particular Paola Armstrong
of Wellington Town Council for organising
such a professional and packed programme.
Platinum Jubilee celebrations
In June we celebrated Her Majesty’s
Platinum Jubilee in true Wellington style,
including a wonderful Midsummer Fayre,
complete with a procession and a host of
entertainers in the Market Square and New
Street. This event, which was organised by
Rob Francis of Wellington H2A and Caroline
Mulvihill of the town council, also saw the
first appearance of our new Wellington Town
Crier, Steve Warwood, and we welcome him
and look forward to his presence at many
Wellington events to come.
The weekend coincided with a visit
from our French twin town of Châtenay-
Malabry, and it was super to see our guests
joining in the celebrations in style. Intrepid
residents climbed The Wrekin to be part of
the beacon event and over the weekend
there were many community events and
street parties, and the rain just about
managed to hold off.
‘Above and Beyond’
I was honoured to attend a garden
party hosted by the Lord Lieutenant of
Shropshire, Mrs Anna Turner, at Orleton
Hall to thank members of the Shropshire
community who went ‘above and beyond’
during the pandemic, and was pleased to see
representation from Wellington.
On the subject of community, Wellington
won the ‘Large Town’ category of ‘Shropshire’s
Outstanding Community’ and as I write, I look
forward to celebrating this achievement with
members of different organisations who make
our town so worthy of this award at a tea
party at Sunnycroft, as part of the Wellington
Open Gardens Weekend.
My charities this year are KIP, an
appointment-based service offering
assistance to people presenting as homeless
or rough sleeping in the Telford & Wrekin area
and also Combat Stress, a charity that helps
veterans coping with PTSD. I hope you will
support me in my fundraising efforts for such
worthy causes.
I do hope you enjoy this edition of ‘This is
Our Wellington’.
Kind regards
Cllr Dorothy Roberts
03
@LoveWellington
@LoveWellington1
lovewellingtonshropshire

LOVE
Community News
Walking With Giants
HISTORY
GROUP
TALKS
Wellington History group will
be holding the following talks
over the coming months:
l Thursday 21 July – Wendy
Palin, ‘Walk and Talk’
l Thursday 15 September
– ‘Philip Larkin: The
Wellington Years’ by Dr
Philip Pullen (from the
Larkin Society) - talk funded
by Wellington Town Council.
Both talks start at 7:30pm at
Wellington Library.
04
WELLINGTON
CIVIC
SOCIETY
VISIT
Wellington Civic Society, who
meet monthly and hold social
events and trips throughout
the year, recently enjoyed a
trip to historic Powis Castle.
Famed for housing the Clive
collection of East Asian and
Indian artefacts as well as its
stunning gardens, the group
were pleased to hold this trip –
the first for two years.
If you would like to join the
Civic Society please contact
Eileen Sanderson
l e_sanderson@live.com
@LoveWellington
@LoveWellington1
lovewellingtonshropshire
l Pictured: Marc Petty with Cllrs Julie Pierce and Anthony Lowe.
A
new project has launched in
Wellington which aims to retell the
globetrotting tales of our town’s
incredible cultural connections.
The Walking With Giants trail is the
latest offering from long-running community
organisation Wellington Local Agenda 21 Group
and celebrates the artistic heritage of our town
and its near-neighbour The Wrekin - retracing
the footsteps of countless writers, musicians
and artists who have been influenced by the
area, and shining a light on numerous local
places associated with their lives.
Shropshire dyslexia ambassador Eli Wilkinson from Wellington received
an MBE for services to dyslexia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Eli, who founded the Dyslexic Dyslexia Consultant 15 years ago
and launched the annual Dyslexia Awards in 2015, has dedicated
almost her entire working career to raising awareness and greater
understanding of dyslexia, supporting thousands of individuals to
adopt a more positive mindset about their own abilities, working
with educators and employers across Shropshire and beyond to
drive greater awareness and inclusivity in the workplace.
l Pictured: Eli Wilkinson, by Gavin Dickson/Be Bold Media
Marc Petty of LA21 said, “It’s a story charting a
course from the windswept Yorkshire moorlands
of Brönte Country to Merseybeat-era Liverpool,
via the streets of 1920s New York and an Atlantic
crossing to Patagonia - a truly epic adventure
without ever leaving the confines of Wellington!”
The scheme is supported by West Midlands
Railways ‘Your Community, Your Fund’
programme, and has enabled the creation
of a free heritage trail booklet (available
from a range of local outlets, including the
library and The Wellington Orbit).
wellingtonwalkwithgiants.co.uk
Wellington lady recongnised in Queen’s honours

This is our Wellington | www.lovewellington.co.uk
LOVE
Wellington
volunteers
recognised
Two volunteers from Wellington were amongst
600 guests at a Buckingham Palace-style
garden party at Orleton Hall in Wellington
to thank people from all over Shropshire for
their efforts to support others during the
pandemic, organised by Shropshire’s Lord
Lieutenant Anna Turner. Dorota Sobilo and
Karolina Pietruch-Piszczek of Wellington’s
Polish community group were invited after
their efforts to help NHS workers and create masks.
The group had collected sweets, coffee, food and items for NHS workers at
the start of the pandemic, and then set up their own production line making face
masks. Since the war in Ukraine began the pair have also helped collect items to
help those affected – with the collections resulting in 11 lorry loads being sent out
to Eastern Europe.
Wellington Arts Collective’s
Wrekin project go-ahead
Italian Scooterfest
in Wellington
On Sunday 4 September, Wellington will host a
unique ‘Italian scooter day’- a first for our town
and the UK. New Street and Market Square will
be packed with scooters of all types and vintage,
with riders coming from as far as Cheshire and
Staffordshire to meet up and enjoy local cafes and
restaurants. David Morris, Director of the ‘Italian
Auto Moto Club’ said, ‘’As far as we know, this event
is the first time in the UK that a town has hosted
an event purely for scooters on its central streets.
It’s great to get enthusiasts to come to meet up
in a town setting and help to regenerate the local
economy. All the riders and their pillion passengers
will be eating and drinking locally, and we are glad
to be able to play a part in bringing visitors and new
money into this historically important town.”
It is hoped that if this first event proves as
successful it will be held it annually, becoming
one of the most important events in the national
scooter calendar.
05
The Wellington Arts Collective are a
group of professional artist makers and
educators, who all share a connection
to Wellington and span the creative
mediums in clay, paint, collage, wood
and metal as well as the written word.
Combined they have many years
experience of working with an array
of community groups and together
they aim to provide high quality arts
to the local community and strive to
put Wellington on the map as a thriving
artistic town.
The collective are currently working
on a sculptural piece of work for
the top of The Wrekin called ‘The
Sky Begins at My Feet’, having been
successful in an application to Telford
& Wrekin Council, and have invited
primary school pupils and a range of
diverse community groups to be part
of the project that will see individuals’
work displayed publicly for many years
to come. The sculpture will enhance
the already-existing features of The
Wrekin, and will aim to enrich the
experience people have when visiting
the site, which is famous for having
the most diverse geology found in the
world.
Library staff spotlight
At Love Wellington we like to show our appreciation
of all the good things about Wellington… so here is
a shout out to the hardworking library staff. Always
dignified, respectful and helpful to members of the
public. So thank you to the staff of Susie, Rachel
and Cameron (in photo) and to Amy, Fiona and
Nicola, headed up by Anna Hill for your contribution
to making Wellington such a great place to live.

LOVE
Love Wellington News
Time to get walking
06
Wellington
Walking Festival,
organised by
Wellington Walkers
are Welcome,
runs from 12 – 18 September and
will feature 30 events ranging
from gentle strolls to a strenuous
14-mile walk, with something to suit
everyone. The start will see three
varied walks leaving Wellington
Leisure Centre at 10am on Monday
Charltonbury
Festival returns
After a three year gap, Charltonbury festival,
organised by head of drama and assistant vice
principal Anna Vickers, returned to the Charlton
School in June in a showcase featuring dance, choral
and musical performances from all Wellington primary
schools and the members of the Expressive Arts
department at the Charlton.
12 September as well as established favourites, and nine new
events.
The new ventures include a collaboration with Wellington
History Group looking at Wellington’s listed buildings,
a Heritage Open Day event celebrating the life of the
inventor of the world’s first electric car and a chance to
visit the Weald Moors. Walks will include the Telford T50
50 Mile trail in four and a half days, each stage being
accessed by public transport from Wellington. Booking is
needed for most of these very popular events. Please visit
wellingtonwalkersarewelcome.org.uk/festival for further
details, booking and the full programme.
Nationwide support of YMCA
Nationwide Building
Society have presented
a cheque to Wellington
& District YMCA having
secured a community
grant of £50,000. The
charity, which provides
support to vulnerable
people in Telford through
a variety of services
such as supported
accommodation for 16-
25 year olds and life skills
training, was delighted to accept a cheque from Christina Johnson branch
manager from the Nationwide Wellington team.
Christina said, “Our team are also looking forward to supporting young
people with mini sessions about finances; such as saving for a first home,
managing bills, or opening a current account - but more importantly this will
help build relationships so young people can walk through our door knowing
we are here to support and look after them.”
l Christina Johnson from Wellington Nationwide, Murray Graham and Louisa Howells-Morgan from
Wellington YMCA.
Defibrillator donation
for Sir John Bayley Club
Representatives of the Sir John Bayley Club received a cheque
for £2,040 from the Shropshire County Minor Football League.
The league has been using the club facilities for many years and
donated money to the club to purchase a defibrillator.

This is our Wellington | www.lovewellington.co.uk
LOVE
Queen’s Baton honour
for Wrekin Rowers
Jubilee
Celebrations!
As well as countless tea parties and
celebrations around Wellington there
were some unique ways in which
Wellington celebrated the Queen’s
Platinum Jubilee (please see back cover
for Midsummer Fayre pictures).
Did you spot some great Jubilee
themed yarn bombing in Wellington?
Angela Moore and Darcy Lear, who both
live in Wellington, were the creators of
the terrific topper which appeared on
the post box outside the Red Lion on the
Holyhead Road.
Angie said; “The topper is a
combination of both crochet and knitting.
It’s been wonderful to hear and see on
Facebook that the community has been
enjoying our contribution to the Jubilee.”
Other Wellington residents, including
Love Wellington and friends, took part in
the beacon of light event on The Wrekin
on the Jubilee weekend – a snake of 500
people all with torches to create a path of
light climbing up our famous hill.
07
l Rower Stuart Shepherd, nominator Sally Themans and rower Stuart Richards.
A pair of Wellington ‘heroes’ who
completed the world’s toughest
rowing race have now been selected
to take part in a second epic journey.
Stuart Shepherd and Stuart
Richards, two members of the
Wrekin Rowers team which travelled
3,000 miles across the Atlantic at the
end of last year, have been chosen
to carry the Queen’s baton on part
of its journey across the world
to the Commonwealth Games in
Birmingham this July.
Stuart Shepherd said that he was
thrilled to have been nominated by
Sally Themans of Love Wellington
for the honour, “I am really looking
forward to the event – it is amazing
to be given the opportunity to
continue representing Wellington at a
national level,” he said.
Sally commented, “The Wrekin
Rowers made a huge impression on
the people of Wellington, as well as
raising over £100,000. They have
been extremely generous with their
time and their obvious appreciation
of the Wellington community who got
behind them, bringing their boat to
the Market Square and mentioning
the town when they landed in
Antigua.
Fellow crew member Stuart
Richards, who will also be carrying
the baton in the relay, was nominated
by Tanya Bebb from Wellington.

LOVE
Wellington Regeneration News
08
ARE YOU A
BUSINESS
BASED IN
WELLINGTON?
If so then you are most
welcome to join the Love
Wellington Business WhatsApp
group – which welcomed Zak
Hammond of Red Brick Café
as its 100th member. Please
email lovewellington2020@
gmail.com to join. It is a great
place for networking, news and
working together for the good
of Wellington.
WELLINGTON
BUSINESS
MEETING
In June Wellington businesses
met in person after a two-year
break, hosted by Bill and Simon
at The Cock Hotel. With over 20
businesses in attendance, the
group saw a presentation about
Wellington’s regeneration plans
and agreed various initiatives to
work together.
The next Love Wellington
business meeting will take place
on Tuesday 6 September at Q
Financial Services.
GRANTS ON THE
UP, VACANCY
RATES ON THE
DOWN...
Over the last three years,
Telford & Wrekin Council’s
Pride in Our High Street
project has awarded a total
of 45 grants to businesses in
Wellington – including startup
grants designed to attract new
business, as well as 11 additional
grants to help diversification
(Covid recovery grants). In 2018
Wellington’s vacancy rate was
15%, well above the national
average of 11%; in 2022 the
vacancy rate had fallen to
9.25%, well below the national
and regional average of 14%.
STATION’S ‘SECRET
GARDEN’ IS COMPLETE
The Friends of Wellington Station
group has finished work on the
innovative project to create a haven
for wildlife and ‘green sanctuary’ for
visitors and travellers, using a derelict
and overgrown piece of land at Wellington
Station.
“The station really is the gateway to
Wellington, so we were keen to make a garden
which creates a lasting first impression of
the town,” said FOWS member Cllr Julie
Pierce. “With the help of local contractor
Pryce Builders and Telford & Wrekin Council
for project management support we have
now created an amazing space, which we
hope will eventually include bee and birdfriendly
wildflowers and plants, a bug hotel
and butterfly feeding station, as well as seats
ALICJA AWAITS AT CLARKES!
Originally from the Kujawsko-pomorskie region of Poland,
Alicja Ogonowska is now a crucial part of the civil litigation
team at Clarkes Solicitors in Wellington and it’s hoped this will
be of benefit to the large Polish community in Wellington, with
a Polish speaking lawyer available.
“Nobody understands better than she does the challenges
of adapting to a new culture, a new way of life, and of learning
a radically different language, all the while maintaining ties with
home and family and coping with the constant pain of missing
them,” said Luke Taylor of Clarkes.
@LoveWellington
@LoveWellington1
and information about walking routes around
Wellington.”
The hard landscaping has been completed
and the friends are now looking for businesses,
residents and groups to get on board to
sponsor raised beds, provide plants or
donations which can be used to buy plants and
have set up a crowdfunding site gofundme.
com/f/wellington-station-secret-garden.
The garden was financed from a £45,000
grant from West Midlands Railway’s ‘Your
Community, Your Fund’ as part of a project
called the Wellington Ways, which has also
seen new signage to promote walking and
cycling routes installed. The grant was matched
through volunteer labour from the Friends of
Wellington Station and project management
from Telford & Wrekin Council.
lovewellingtonshropshire

This is our Wellington | www.lovewellington.co.uk
LOVE
MAN ABOUT TOWN CELEBRATES
42 YEARS OF WELLINGTON CUTS
As well as highlighting the
new entrepreneurs in
Wellington – it’s also time
to celebrate our more long
term businesses – and Nicola
Powell, proprietor of Man
About Town in Wellington,
is marking 42 years as one
of Shropshire’s longestestablished
barbers.
“We have always prided
ourselves on great
communication with clients,
having a laugh and developing amazing friendships with customers over the
years,” says Nicola, who has owned the traditional barbers in Queen Street for
a decade. “It’s a small team here of myself, Gail Jones who has worked here for
the last 30 years, and Nick McDonald who joined us four years ago.
“We are delighted to be still serving the people of Wellington after over four
decades and are looking forward to building our business up even further in
years to come.”
Wellington
Business
News
Comedy nights
The Gratitude Café on Duke Street and
The Red Brick Café in the Market have
started regular comedy nights which are
attracting great crowds – another reason
to Love Wellington!
New businesses
open their doors
Wellington continues to attract new
businesses, and we wish them the very
best…
l Chatka (New Street, next to Savers)
l Workplace Telford (New Street)
l Landau (in former Barclays Bank)
l Casper Stores (New Street)
l Manga Crate (Wellington Market)
l Mature (formerly Meduza on Parade)
l Harleys Barbers (Crown St/Tan Bank)
l Sole Sisters Mobile Reflexology
l Wrekin Soaps
l Creative Kate (Market Annexe)
l Bali Clothing (Wellington Market)
l Lola’s Caribbean Kitchen
To come:
l Prem’s (Wedding Decoration) is moving
to Market Square
l The Boot Micro Pub in Market Square
09

Wellington
Wellington Festival 2022
Wellington’s 26th Festival in May was a triumph of local community
inventiveness and engagement. Twenty-six events were held over
the three days of 6-8 May in numerous different locations around
Wellington.
The Festival Committee would very much like to thank so
many Wellington people involved for “imagination, creativity and
participation.” Well done Wellington!
Festival Committee: Cllr Anthony Lowe (Chair), Cllr Julie
Pierce, Cllr Joan Gorse, Cllr Pat Fairclough, Cllr John Alvey and
Paola Armstrong.
10
Peggy Harrison Schools
Poetry Competition
Congratulations to our winners:
l Reuben Newnes
l Payton Roberts
l Daniyal Ali
l Thomas and Emily Bird
l Nazia Shadab
l Medina Hussain
l Preslava Petrova
l Chloe Mustafa
l Bethany Palin-Chapple
Winning entrants were invited to meet the Mayor, Cllr Dorothy
Roberts, to receive their prizes at a presentation in June. The
winning entries are currently on display in Wellington Library.
wellington-shropshire.gov.uk/wellington-festival-2022

Wellington
SHORT STORY WINNER: AMANDA GOODE
OUR NEW RESIDENT POET: LIZ CARTER
Wellington -
Then and Now
A town shaped through mists of time
Bathed in long shadows of sublime
inclines
And sometimes, sighs of golden chimes
Then.
Weola was his name, they say,
He was the dawn of all our todays,
Our town founder, our ancient grounder
His legacy lives on in lives that revive
And breathless archives
Of a town that keeps trying and
Sometimes flying
Now.
They said we would flounder through
Covid’s touch
We’d wither away, dust into dust,
And lose our way in its perilous clutch
But we sang songs of freedom and
Dreamed of what could be
We zoomed in our rooms with hearts
wide open
And carried the broken
With actions unspoken and
Warm words outspoken
Then.
We stood on the strength of all those who
cared;
Who gave of themselves when their edges
were bared
And their work dragged them down
Into shards of despair,
Who reeled and lurched through
Pandemic murk
I’d fly them to the top of the world
And cascade them in flowers
In all their hours
Then and now.
They said we would flounder through
Covid’s touch
We’d wither away, dust into dust,
And lose our way in its perilous clutch
But we railed at destruction because
Hope springs eternal
We staged a reversal and
came back with zeal
All gathered under a walnut tree.
Now.
Our orbit transformed
As we weather the storms
And warm up our streets
Treading the path of ancient feet
Soaked through with gratitude,
We fling out our platitudes and
Stand tall and proud
Shouting aloud of joy-filled festivals and
Colour-drenched market halls
Where compassion calls and
Hope starts to fall.
Now.
From white-blossomed splendour in All
Saints’ front yard
Infinity streaming through time’s aching
scars
To snowdrops of newness in glory
abounding,
In new life’s elation all nature resounding
Waking the iron-clad cages of winter
Where splinters of grief transform into
crowns
And echo fresh joy through Apley’s
timeless grounds
Now.
Wellington town is a beacon, again,
In fragile now and weary then
Its song is triumph, its poem is hope
Rising tall through the plunder of time’s
restless flow
Its people united on sun-bloomed Wrekin
slopes.
Wellington Cemetery
We each had one, my brother and I.
A small, red, wooden box on wheels, complete with
a long, pitted rod of metal that ended in a loop to form
the handle.
Much easier to pull than push.
The path outside from the house led straight to the
huge metal gates, gates that announced the entrance to
the cemetery.
‘Never take the flowers from the graves, only pine
cones and discarded flowers.
We knew never to trespass.
However beautiful the floral tributes were, however
much their vibrancy called to us we knew to only look.
Rivers of pine cones littered the avenue floor, we
searched out the most perfect then squirrelled them
away.
Needles, fallen layer upon layer, cushioned our walk,
we made no noise.
We passed the familiar glass domes, protection for
the delicate flowers modelled from wax, we passed
the angels, our silhouettes casting shadows over their
outstretched wings.
Faded names with heartfelt inscriptions were traced
by our small fingers.
Discarded flowers, inside the wooden compost,
created a floral stratum of texture and colour, a layered
glimpse of mourning and celebration, sorrow, loss and
hope.
We loosened the heads and lifted them free, gently
obliterating our fir cone collections in colourful shrouds
of wilted flowers.
Before bed we’ll submerge the rose petals into
jam jars of water, a present for mummy, given with
enthusiasm and received with love. Thank you, that’s my
very favourite perfume.
Five more minutes we are told.
We filled the watering cans until we wobble when we
lift them. From head to toe, on this hot summer’s day,
we are drenched in cool water and happiness.
And now there are no more five minutes. I visit your
grave, kneeling to arrange the flowers.
I smile and thank you.
11
wellington-shropshire.gov.uk/wellington-festival-2022

Wellington Climate News
12
Climate
Emergency
Steering
Group
The Climate Emergency Steering
Group is made up of four
councillors and members of the
public, moving Wellington towards
its aim of achieving status as a
‘plastic free community’. If you
are interested in becoming a
member, please email paola.
armstrong@telford.gov.uk
New members to the group
include Jordan Stanley from
Manga Crate, Linda Devey from
the Wrekin Branch of Soroptimist
International group and Jenny
Flegg (Scout Leader).
Nature
Festival
There will be a Nature Festival at
the Bowring Park as part of the
Family Fun Days on Tuesday 9
August.
At the time of going to press,
it is hoped that Veolia will be on
hand to answer questions on
plastic free and recycling.
Cllr Anthony Lowe has been
going into schools to discuss how
they can best become involved
in the Plastic Free Wellington
community allied campaign by
signing up at www.sas.org.uk and
getting their ‘schools pack’.
If you would like to find out
more about Wellington’s Climate
Emergency Steering group please
email paola.armstrong@telford.
gov.uk
SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE AWARD FOR
THE LITTLE GREEN PANTRY’S KELI KING
Keli King from The Little Green
Pantry has been awarded her
Surfers Against Sewage Plastic
Free Communities certificate and
plaque.
Mossy Life launched in Wellington
Mossy Life, a new initiative
aiming to help Wellington
residents become more
environmentally aware has
been launched by local
woman Caroline Talbot. An
online green hub providing
easy to find eco solutions
which supports the local
economy and the planet,
it is a ‘green’ business
directory and what’s on
guide.
“There are many amazing
local businesses with the
same ethos but they can
be quite difficult to find so
this local green directory
helps – it includes practical
green living advice and
l Caroline Talbot of Mossy Life
local environmental news”
said Caroline.
Telford & Wrekin Council have funded the specific green guide which covers Telford and the
whole of Shropshire and is starting to spread into Powys, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire,
Staffordshire and the rest of the West Midlands.

www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk
Community Litter Pick
UK’S FIRST OFF-GRID
BUS STATION OPENS
IN WELLINGTON
l Mayor Cllr Dorothy Roberts
at the opening of the
new bus station
l Picture by Paul Davis
Wellington town
councillors,
community groups
and local businesses
came together for
an organised litter pick in June,
to tackle plastic waste in the town
and raise awareness of the group’s
efforts to gain the community status
as plastic free.
Newly appointed chair of the
group Cllr Paul Davis said, “I’m really
pleased to see the desire from the
community of Wellington to work
together to reduce unnecessary
plastic waste.
“The commitment from
businesses since launching the
scheme has been incredible with
many more joining as word spreads.”
Thirty volunteers collected twenty
bags full of litter including eight of
waste plastic, none of which would
otherwise have been recycled.
Well done Ercall Wood!
Huge well done to pupils at Ercall Wood Academy who have collected almost
130,000 plastic milk-bottle tops which can then be recycled to raise funds for
a learning-disability charity, Mencap.
Telford & Wrekin Council have opened the UK’s first
bus station to generate its own electricity, in a bid to
further reduce the carbon footprint of the borough
and meet ambitious targets for net zero by 2030.
The council has worked with suppliers Etesian Green
and Journeo to create an ‘off-grid’ station where
power is generated by multi-directional wind turbines
and solar panels producing renewable, carbon-free
energy with each shelter generating enough electricity
to supply a house for three months. This energy will
power the lighting, CCTV and live timetable information
boards in the shelters.
Every shelter is constructed using hundreds of
recycled plastic bottles. The shelter roofs are also put
to work thanks to a low-growing plant called ‘sedum’,
giving back to nature with pockets of urban wilderness,
providing a home for insects and bees and absorbing
carbon. Over the lifespan of the bus station carbon
savings of 55 metric tons will be achieved, the same as
planting more than 750 new trees.
New technology is also revolutionary featuring
improved accessibility features such as voice and push
button announcements and CCTV cameras built into
the digital screens - adding an extra layer of safety for
users.
Telford & Wrekin Cabinet Member for Climate
Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic
Environment and Cultural Services Carolyn Healy said,
“This pioneering installation of smart bus shelters are
another step forward in our green journey to help
tackle the climate emergency.”
13

Wellington Town Council News
www.we lington-shropshire.gov.uk
14
Diary Dates
JULY
l Saturday 23
Sounds in Square 11-1pm
Wellington Brass Band
l Tuesday 26
Bowring Fun Day 11-1pm
PJ the Showman
l Saturday 30
Sounds in Square 11-1pm
Telfordaires and Shropshire Boatmen
AUGUST
l Tuesday 2
Bowring Fun Day 11-1pm
Wrekin Forest School
l Saturday 6
Sounds in Square 11-1pm
Chill Out Skate performance
l Tuesday 9
Bowring Fun Day 11-1pm
Nature Festival
l Saturday 13
Sounds in the Square 11-1pm
Three in a Bar Jazz band
l Tuesday 16
Bowring Fun Day 11-1pm
Tori Arts dance
l Saturday 20
Sounds in the Square 11-1pm
Telford Steel band
l Friday 19 - Tuesday 23
Jollies Inflatables at the Bowring Park
11am-5pm daily
l Tuesday 30
Bowring Fun Day 11-1pm
PJ the Showman
SEPTEMBER
l Sunday 4
Italian Scooters
All day – Wellington Town Centre
l Sunday 11
Mayor’s Civic Service
4pm at All Saints Church
l Wednesday 28
Free Film showing at Wellington Orbit
for senior members of the Wellington
Community. Please book directly with the
Orbit.
*NB – no need to pre-book Bowring Fun Days - just turn
up on the day
Annual report
Wellington Town Council’s 2021-
2022 Annual Report is now available
to read – it can be found on the
council’s website under the following
link: wellington-shropshire.gov.uk/
category/annual-reports/
WELLINGTON IS
BLOOMING LOVELY!
Wellington’s hanging baskets are blooming! As in
previous years, the hanging baskets have been
provided by Malcolm Shambley from Limetree
Nurseries. We think they are superb!
And to continue the flower and gardening
theme, Love Wellington has organised the third
annual ‘Wellington in Bloom’ competition, with
entries flooding in as This is Our Wellington
goes to print – to be judged by Mayor Cllr
Dorothy Roberts in late June.
Furthermore, Wellington is looking forward
to the first ever ‘Wellington Open Gardens’
weekend in early July – with 20 private gardens,
as well as Sunnycroft, open to the public in an
event organised with local charity Community
Resource.
CAP Debt centre urges people to get help
The current cost of living crisis can be a tough time for many. But help and advice is not far away.
Christians Against Poverty have a debt centre in Telford supported by several churches in the town.
Since opening in 2015 CAP have helped over 200 people with their finances and around 80
people have become debt free. Run by a team of volunteers, CAP is able to give practical solutions
and work out a plan to help people to work their way out of debt - relieving the stress that the debt
has on their lives.
The free service is available to all people in Telford. To book an appointment with CAP call
Freephone 0800 328 0006 or visit capuk.org.
To give financially or offer to volunteer please contact Jane Preston 07910779345
janepreston@capuk.org
Wellington Town Council
www.we lington-shropshire.gov.uk
Wellington Town Council
Annual Report
2021/2022
Annual Report
2021/2022

This is our Wellington | www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk
TWINNERS VISIT ROYAL DELIGHT
There was a right royal
Wellington “Entente
Cordiale” when Wellington
Twinners welcomed visitors
from our twin town of
Châtenay-Malabry, near
Paris in June.
“The visitors really
seemed to enjoy themselves
and got completely stuck
in with all our Jubilee
celebrations, participating
in our Midsummer Fayre
procession” said Deputy
Mayor of Wellington Cllr
Anthony Lowe.
The programme of twinning events
started with an official town council
reception presided over by Mayor, Cllr
Dorothy Roberts. On Saturday, some
hosts and guests dressed up for the
parade and the Wellington (Telford) Brass
Band played both La Marseillaise and
God Save The Queen in front of All Saints
Church. Guests enjoyed a traditional
British Jubilee afternoon tea in a country
garden just north of Wellington before
moving on to a ceilidh in the evening
at Little Wenlock village hall, attended
Bayley Mile returned
The 24th Bayley Mile returned after an
absence of three years; 107 runners from
nine schools took part in this local historic
event and four race records were broken.
The Mayor of Wellington at the time, Cllr
Paul Davis, presented the prizes.
Special mention must be made of
Thomas Telford School for winning four
of the team races. It was good to see the
enthusiasm of the competitors as they ran
round the streets of Wellington.
The Bayley Mile started in 1996 when
Jim Mostyn was marketing manager at
Wrekin College and Gary Davies was Mayor
of Wellington. The pair decided to hold
an event which would bring local schools
together in a competitive environment,
running round the streets of Wellington.
This was a combined effort of Wellington
Council and Wrekin College working
together in a way John Bayley would have
approved.
by all hosts, French visitors and other
participants in the Midsummer Fayre.
The final event was a farewell dinner
at the Buckatree Hotel for Twinning
Association members and our guests,
the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Wellington
Town Council Clerk.
Attendees danced till late and enjoyed
the friendships that have been built up
over 21 years between our two towns.
If you are interested to learn more,
please make initial contact with
Wellington Twinning Association secretary
by email wanthonylowe@aol.com
Sir John Bayley was an educationalist,
born a coal miner’s son in Ashton-under-
Lyne, Manchester. At the age of 27 he
founded his own school in Wellington. The
school was renamed Wrekin College in 1921
and was a great success.
John Bayley was a friend of David
Lloyd George, the liberal Prime Minister,
who encouraged John to stand as a
coalition liberal candidate in a Shropshire
by-election in 1920 where he was
unsuccessful. In the same year he gave
a wooden building to set up a club in
Wellington for men who had fought in the
First World War. He also helped to buy land
for the club which was renamed the Sir
John Bayley club in 1937 and continues as
the bowls club today.
John Bayley was knighted in 1921 for his
services to education. He died in 1952 at
the age of 99 and is buried on the Great
Orme in Llandudno.
Welcome
Inspector Matt
Sanders
Inspector Matthew Sanders is the new Safer
Neighbourhood Team Inspector for North
Telford, having been a police officer for over 15
years and worked (and lived) in Wellington as a
constable and sergeant.
“I have a good knowledge of the town and
am eager to continue the good work of Insp
Phillips by working with the community to make
Wellington a safe and prosperous place to live. I
already know most of the Safer Neighbourhood
Team and am proud to lead such a dedicated
and passionate team who always put the
community first. Wellington has a great spirit
and I have enjoyed meeting many members of
the community already and have every intention
of doing all I can to build on this community
spirit and provide residents with the best
possible Safer Neighbourhood Team.”
WEST update
The Wellington Environmental Services Team
have been busy keeping Wellington neat and
tidy. Here are some examples of path clearance
work undertaken in the Dothill area adjacent
to Severn Drive – which attracted the following
comments from appreciative residents; “Been
up there with the dog, great job.” And “Fantastic
job, do this walk most days with the dogs – it
looks so good” and “Brilliant, well done.”
BEFORE
BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER
15

Midsummer Fayre 2022
If you missed it – here’s a chance to see how Wellington celebrated the Jubilee with the hugely
successful Midsummer Fayre organised by Wellington H2A and events and
workshops laid on by Wellington Town Council.
Photo Credits: GFAP Media and Rob Francis