This Is Our Wellington Issue 13

This is our 

LOVE 

Wellington 

WELLINGTON: TWINNED WITH CHÂTENAY-MALABRY 

Inside 

Celebrating 

Summer 

in Wellington 

Royal honour for 


firefighter Tom 

Italian scooters bring 

colour to Wellington 

Wellington’s 

new 

resident 

poet... 

New premises and 

new businesses 

Issue Number 13 | June 2023


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 Emma 

Holding 

Cllr Reg 

Snell 

www.facebook.com/WellingtonTCShropshire 

COLLEGE WARD 

twitter.com/WellingtonTCI 

Wellington Town Council Officers 

Cllr Paul Davis 

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 Lisa 

Morris-Jones 

Cllr Karen 

Tomlinson 

Cllr Jim 

McGinn 

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 Lionel 

Woolley 

HAYGATE WARD 

Cllr Giles 

Luter 

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) 


Noise - Public Protection team 

Telephone: 01952 381818 

Email: 

environmental.health@telford.gov.uk 

Pest Control 

Telephone: 01952 384384 


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 

HAYGATE 

WARD 

Cllr Stuart 

Williams 

MEADOWS 

WARD 

Cllr Stephen 

deLauney 

Cllr Simon 

Day 

PARK WARD 

Cllr Julie 

Pierce 

Cllr Martin 

Jobe 

Cllr Crispin 

Barker 

Cllr Paul 

Davis 

SHAWBIRCH WARD 

Cllr Anthony 

Lowe

Welcome 

A welcome from Wellington’s new Mayor, 

Cllr Paul Davis 

Hello and welcome to the 

summer edition of ‘This is 

Our Wellington magazine’ 

This is our Wellington has 

been designed and printed by 

Plus Two Media Limited. 

Plus 

Media 

Limited 

All text copyright 

© Wellington Town Council 

2023 / Love Wellington 

Photographs supplied by Love 

Wellington and Wellington Town 

Council additional pictures from 

Wrekin News / Plus Two Media 

Limited archive. 

Iam truly honoured to be your mayor again 

this year, a role that continues to be a 

privilege to undertake; I’m once again filled 

with pride to be able to represent our 

wonderful community and I will continue 

to work hard to showcase all the positives our 

excellent town offers our residents and visitors. 

Always proactive and ready to engage, I’ve 

had the opportunity to meet some wonderful 

people and talk to them about our town. 

Many of our visitors regularly travel from 

Wolverhampton, Stafford, Shrewsbury and 

Shifnal. It’s hugely positive and a significant 

endorsement that our community continues to 

be a warm and welcoming place to live, work, 

shop and relax. 

We have seen over 50 new businesses 

make Wellington their home, many of them 

independents, we wish them every success 

and I hope to welcome more in the future. Our 

market continues to be a jewel in the crown of 

Wellington. The variety of traders, regular latenight 

events and an established food court have 

helped showcase its importance to Wellington. 

The ongoing investment into Wellington in 

recent years has been justified. Dedicated 

business owners, local groups and residents 

have supported each other as a community, 

helping Wellington buck the national trend of 

declining high streets. 

With a busy calendar of events planned to 

support the town, I hope there is something for 

everyone to enjoy and I hope that you can join 

our collective endeavour to continue to support 

Wellington and share in our successes as our 

town continues to flourish. 

Please enjoy reading this latest edition of 

‘This is Our Wellington’ magazine and I look 

forward to meeting as many of you as possible 

during my mayoral year. 

Kind Regards, 

Cllr Paul Davis, Mayor of Wellington 

03 

For more information about 

newsletter and brochure design 

and printing please contact James 

Baylis, Telephone: 07977 481186 

or email James: 

james@plus2media.co.uk 

www.plus2media.co.uk 

Welcome to new 

Councillors 

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. 

At the local elections held at the start of May, seven new town 

councillors were elected to serve on Wellington Town Council and we 

extend congratulations and a warm welcome to them. Their details and 

photographs can be found on the inside of the front cover. 

A very big thank you to the outgoing councillors, many of whom have 

served Wellington for a number of years; Angela McClements, Dorothy 

Roberts, Sylvia Hall, John Alvey, Chris Brittain and Pat Fairclough, and of 

course Phil Morris-Jones (pictured) who marked 50 years as a councillor 

and served as Mayor of Wellington four times. 

Phil successfully campaigned for Wellington to have its own town council 

in 1988, and cut the first sod upon which the Wellington Leisure Centre, 

registry office and borough and town council offices now stands. He was 

awarded an MBE for his services to Wellington. 

@LoveWellington 

@LoveWellington1 

lovewellingtonshropshire

LOVE 

Community News 

04 

WELLINGTON 

HISTORY 

GROUP 

TALKS 

● 20 July 

Walk - Dothill/Apley Area - 

earlier start at 6:45pm 

Meet at public car park 

Apley Castle TF1 6RH 

● 21 September 

Oral History by Jan Doody 

● 16 November 

Christmas in the Market by 

Stewart Braddock 

All talks are held at Wellington 

Library at 7:30pm 

MAYOR’S 

FUNDRAISING 

Outgoing Mayor Dorothy 

Roberts raised £710.59 for 

each of her chosen charities 

- KIP and Combat Stress - 

having held a successful quiz 

night, a choral concert, the 

civic and coronation services 

and the mayoral dinner. 

FAREWELL... 

A fond farewell to Brian 

Herring. 

Brian gave so much to the 

local community over many 

years; he was a stalwart of 

several local volunteer groups: 

Wellington LA21, was a keen 

supporter of Wellington 

Walkers Are Welcome, Walking 

For Health, the local bus users 

group, the Wrekin Forest 

Volunteers and many other 

local groups, as well as being 

committed to green issues. 

He will be missed by many. 

KIP IN WELLINGTON 

CELEBRATES 18 YEARS 

KiP, based on New Street Wellington, 

is a revolutionary community service 

that was born and developed 

within the community, to serve 

the community. In 2003, founder 

Alan Olver MBE brought together individuals 

from several organisations - Telford Christian 

Council, The Oakengates Salvation Army, The 

Wellington and District YMCA, The Wrekin 

Housing Trust and Telford & Wrekin Council 

Housing, in order to look into the hidden 

homeless problem in Telford. After a while, a 

pilot project called KiP was launched in the 

YMCA building in Tan Bank in 2005. 

Alan said, “It’s been an amazing experience 

to manage and provide support for KiP and its 

workers, both paid and volunteer, over the past 

eighteen years. Many who identify themselves 

as homeless simply want a place to call home, 

a place where they feel safe and can build a life 

for themselves. That’s why, in 2006, KiP was 

created to make that dream come true. My 

wife Catherine and I personally put up our own 

home as collateral for the first house. 

Sadly, even after all these years, those 

affected by homelessness still find themselves 

being pushed to the margins of society, in 

spite of the help of local authorities and a vast 

array of services established in KiP’s wake. 

But this is where the community has stepped 

in - giving much needed assistance in the form 

of food, clothing, funding, equipment, time, 

encouragement and commitment.” 

As trustees, we are incredibly grateful 

for the support from Wellington’s mayors, 

the local businesses and the Wellington 

community throughout the years. As part of the 

celebrations of our eighteenth birthday, we are 

welcoming a new lead worker, moving to a new 

location and introducing a refreshed logo.”

This is our Wellington | www.lovewellington.co.uk 

LOVE 

Royal honour for Tom 

Wellington man Tom 

Hadfield has been 

honoured with 

a British Empire 

Medal as part of the 

King’s New Year’s Honours list. The 

prestigious award was presented 

to him by Anna Turner, the Lord 

Lieutenant of Shropshire, at a 

ceremony held at the Shrewsbury 

Museum. 

Having been with the Shropshire 

Fire Service for 18 years, Tom has been 

group manager in the Telford & Wrekin 

area and is based at Wellington Fire 

Station. He was born in Wellington and 

following a spell in the army, returned 

to the area, and now lives 50 yards 

from his childhood home; “I wouldn’t 

want to live anywhere else” Tom 

remarked. 

The award recognised Tom’s 

work during the COVID pandemic, 

specifically his involvement with the 

local authority’s vaccination rollout 

programme. With over 200 staff 

and 20,000 vaccines administered, 

this project saw fire stations 

converted into vaccine centres. Tom 

commented, “It was very humbling to 

be able to coordinate and motivate 

people in our team who were 

adaptable and flexible and wanted to 

serve the public. We were just there 

to support the NHS and the wonderful 

community volunteers.” 

In celebration Tom was invited 

to a coronation garden party at 

Buckingham Palace in May. 

New bench at Apley Woods 

A wonderful new bench, created 

by ‘The Chainsaw Bloke’ Joffrey 

Watson has been unveiled at 

Apley Woods and has caused 

quite a sensation on Instagram 

with many local people posing 

on it. It truly is unique. 

Picture by Kris Sadler 

New buses 

serving 


New bus services are available 

which serve Wellington and more 

rural areas: 

The 102 runs between Newport 

and Wellington via Donnington 

Wood, Priorslee and the PRH; The 

103 again runs from Newport but 

via Tibberton, Ellerdine, High Ercall, 

Rodington to Wellington and the 

104 runs between the PRH and 

Ellerdine. All fares are £2 or less 

per single journey. Timetables 

can be viewed on telford.gov.uk/ 

info/20174/public_transport/134/ 

bus_services_and_timetables 

The Bus User’s Group would 

welcome some new members, 

please contact Katrina Baker for 

details on 07813 788094. 

Mayor’s award 

for Peter 

Local Wellington community 

police officer, Peter Rigby was 

delighted to receive the Mayor of 

Telford & Wrekin’s Certificate of 

Recognition for dedicated work in 

the community from Mayor Cllr Raj 

Mehta. A delighted PC Rigby said, 

“It’s days like this you remember why 

you put the uniform on.” 

05

LOVE 

Love Wellington News 

06 

WELLINGTON 

WALKING 

FESTIVAL 

Now in its 13 th year, this week-long 

festival showcases Wellington and 

its surrounding area and runs from 

Monday 11 - Sunday 17 Sept. There 

are 30 varied walking events, ranging 

from short strolls and visits to full 

day hikes. 

Several old favourite events 

are still there including visits to a 

vineyard; an Eco Garden attached 

to a factory; Wellington Orbit, 

Sunnycroft, Broseley’s industrial 

heritage; Nordic Walking in Dothill; 

Creative Writing and two challenging 

walks on the Wrekin, but not by 

the standard route. This year’s 

contribution to the national Heritage 

Open Days will be a tour conducted 

by Marc Petty of Wellington LA21 

based on the LA21 ‘Walking with 

Giants’ project. 

Among the new events this 

year are a walk in the Rodington 

area visiting three churches and 

looking at the canal heritage, and the 

chance to try out several of the new 

Telford Coronation Walks. 

A festival programme 

can be downloaded from 

wellingtonwalkersarewelcome.org. 

uk/ 

Running and 

rowing marathons 

A dedicated group of indoor rowers have raised almost £3,000 for Severn Hospice, 

in honour of two dearly departed friends and fellow rowers, Marc Christian and Gary 

Richards, also gaining some notable world rankings during the challenge. 

Jim Mostyn and his wife Sally run 

the Wrekin Rowers programme at 

Wrekin College, where 13 indoor 

rowers took part in the impressive 

rowathon which covered the entire 

distance of the London Marathon. 

One of the rowers was James Dowdall 

who had, only two weeks prior, completed a 

run of the T50 route twice, which amounts 

to a staggering 100 miles. 

Jim said, “Marc had a deep appreciation 

for physical fitness and endurance. He was 

one of the intrepid rowers who managed to 

pull off a 100,000 metre overnight row, and 

was always a keen presence on the local 

running circuit. Last summer he was part 

of a winning team in the Severn Hospice 

Dragon Boat Race. We all 

share the same sense of 

admiration for Gary, too. 

Prior to his amazing journey 

rowing across the Atlantic 

with the Wrekin Rowers, we 

worked together on improving his 

technique and physical conditioning. 

He was an incredible person who 

embodied a fierce sense of determination, 

and that is why we were determined to 

complete this challenge in honour of both 

of them.” 

Prior to starting the twin lap around 

the T50 route, James said, “I’m sure that 

some people have already attempted this 

challenge before, but I’m yet to hear of 

anyone attempting it twice within a single 

24-hour period.” James completed the 

100 mile endeavour in just a smidge over 24 

hours, which included drink and comfort 

breaks. 

The indoor rowers who took part in 

the event finished the London Marathon 

distance with times ranging between 2 hours 

47 minutes to 3 hours 24 minutes, with 

James Dowdall completing another first by 

coming in fastest. 

Jim commented, “Everyone 

demonstrated the same sense of passion, 

tenacity, and fortitude that Marc and Gary 

embodied in their lives. What a fitting 

tribute.” 



lovewellingtonshropshire


LOVE 

Wellington in Bloom 

It’s not too late to enter Wellington in Bloom competition. Categories this year 

are: Hanging Baskets; Front Gardens and Eco Garden and you do NOT need to 

have a large garden to enter - we love seeing all the entries - and we will only be 

able to judge entries at the front of houses. To enter, please email your name, 

address and which category you are entering to lovewellington2020@gmail.com 

by Friday 7 July. 

Peace Garden marks 

George Evans centenary 


Open 

Garden 

weekend 

Saturday 24 June 

marks what 

would have 

been George 

Evans’ hundredth 

birthday, and earlier 

in the year some of 

his friends and family 

gathered to see the 

Wellington Peace Garden 

he worked to create 

renamed in his honour. 

George spent his whole 

life serving Wellington - as 

a councillor, a teacher, 

a writer and campaigner 

- right up until his death 

aged 97. His books and articles on 

Wellington and The Wrekin introduced 

local history to a new 

audience, yet he was 

as interested in 

Wellington’s future 

as its past. Ten 

years ago he 

wrote a ‘letter 

from 2023’, 

imagining how 

wonderful 

Wellington would be as he turned 

100. Some of his predictions - about 

the market, a new cinema and arts 

centre, and a revived high street 

- are happily coming to fruition. 

He may not be here to see 

those developments unfold, 

but his boundless energy, ideas 

and optimism for Wellington 

live on in all the projects that 

are now helping to revive our 

town. 

After the success of last year’s event in 

Wellington run by local charity Community 

Resource, Wellington Open Gardens will 

return this summer. Taking place over 

the first weekend in July, the event will 

see some of last year’s most popular 

gardens re-opening as well as some 

exciting additions to the trail, including the 

renowned gardens of Windy Ridge in Little 

Wenlock with over 1000 labelled species. 

The National Trust’s Sunnycroft will 

once again be open to wristband holders 

over the weekend, with the Darby Singers 

performing there on Saturday 1 July at 1 

and 2pm. Two community gardens will be 

open - the Orbit’s Kitchen Garden and the 

new Secret Garden at Wellington Station. 

Gardens open from 11am-4pm and entry 

includes a trail map. Refreshments will be 

available at many of the gardens. 

For more information and 

to purchase a wristband visit 

WellingtonOpenGardens2023.eventbrite. 

co.uk. Trail maps and tickets are also 

available to purchase from The Orbit. 

07

LOVE 

Regeneration News 

08 

NEW 

BUSINESSES 

OPENED 

THEIR 

DOORS.... 

● Lure Femme on Tan Bank 

● Elsie’s Emporium in the Market 

● Ren’s Kitchen in New Street 

● Odd Pals in Market 

● The Wellington Angler in the 

Market 

● Danache on King Street 

● Hope Tea on Market Street 

● Kiddashery and The Handy Firm 

in the Market 

● N’Chanted in the Market Annex 

● She Salon in Crown Street 

LATE NIGHT 

OPENING IN MARKET 

Telford & Wrekin Council has 

continued to support Wellington 

Market’s late night events as part 

of the Pride in Our High Street 

initiative. The council has worked in 

partnership with Castlepoint Markets 

and Wellington Town Council to 

ensure the entertainment available 

during the late nights attracts locals 

and out of area visitors. 

The late night events prove 

extremely popular and are always 

full to capacity. Katherine Kynaston, 

Telford & Wrekin Council Director 

for Housing, Employment & 

Infrastructure said, “We’re delighted 

to be supporting Wellington Market 

late night events. Their success 

demonstrates the commitment of 

the community to the market and 

we’re excited to see this new season 

of entertainment continue to drive 

growth in the local economy.” 

Wellington Market late night 

events will be held on the following 

dates throughout the summer 

and autumn on 29 July, 26 August, 

30 September, 28 October, and 

18 November, with the following 

confirmed live acts: June – ‘Good to 

go’ and in August ‘Skaburst’. 

Since 2021, Telford & Wrekin 

Moves into new premises 

Council has supported 

nine food start-up 

businesses to open within 

the market, enabling a 

new food court to be 

● Bath Bombs by JC moved to Bell Street 

● Top Tailor moved to Market Street 

● OLS Stone moved to Queen Street 

● Music Vault moved across the road in Crown Street 

● Zoe Trends moved to new premises in Market Street 

● Beautuful Bargains moved to the Market 

established which is 

fast putting Wellington 

on the map as the 

‘foodie destination’ of 

Shropshire. 

…and Allum’s Jewellers 

on New Street celebrates 

75 years!


LOVE 

‘LEVELLING UP’ PLANS FOR 

WELLINGTON ANNOUNCED 

Town’s Fund 

Telford & Wrekin Council successfully 

secured funding from Central 

Government totalling £3m to be 

invested in Wellington’s Market Square 

and Duke, Crown and Bell Streets 

as the heart of Wellington’s historic 

Conservation Area. 

Funding will support the purchase 

of key buildings as well as public 

realm and façade improvements. 

Telford & Wrekin Council have already 

successfully negotiated the purchase 

of 1 Walker Street for which a planning 

application is imminent to create 

upper floor residential units for 

rent and a high quality ground floor 

commercial space. 

2 Walker Street has also been 

purchased by Telford & Wrekin 

Council. This unit is currently covered 

in a colourful ‘shop jacket’ whilst 

negotiations proceed with the owners 

of adjacent buildings also in need of 

extensive structural works. 

In Market Square, the façades 

of the former Hills Butchers and 

Prems will be undergoing extensive 

improvement works. 

Levelling Up 

Telford & Wrekin Council have secured 

a £9.8m grant award from Central 

Government with £1m in matching 

funding for Wellington. 

The grant includes funding for the 

acquisition and refurbishment of 

Wellington Market by Telford & Wrekin 

council, protecting existing traders and 

encouraging new traders to set up. The 

council is already supporting outdoor 

events in the market with a late night 

opening every month and has helped 

many new start-up businesses to open 

in the market food court through 

its Pride in Our High Streets grant 

programme. 

The long term future of the 

Wellington Orbit will be made 

more secure including the 

refurbishment of the buildings upper 

fl o ors. 

Funding for highways and public 

realm improvements will create 

strong gateways to the market and 

better connectivity for pedestrians 

and cyclists, connecting different 

travel nodes and introducing green 

environment features. 

Pride in Our High Street 

Grants from Telford & Wrekin Council 

have been allocated for new start 

up businesses in empty premises, 

diversification to help Covid recovery, 

eco grants to reduce business energy 

costs and facade grants to improve 

the look and feel of the high street. 

These grants have stimulated private 

investment and facilitated the opening 

of new businesses in the town. These 

measures have seen the vacancy rate 

in Wellington drop from 15% to 9%. 

This is all exciting news for 

Wellington. At the moment the 

projects are at an early stage. 

Wellington’s High Street Heroes recognised 

The Little Green Pantry, Spiceland, Anthony’s of Wellington, 

Sofia’s Coffee Shop and the Boardroom Gaming Café have 

all been recognised as Wellington High Street Heroes for the 

Spring/Summer 2023 as part of Telford & Wrekin Council’s 

Pride in Our High Street programme, launched in 2019, to 

support local businesses and retailers. 

The awards are to highlight businesses that have had 

a positive impact on their local high street, encouraging local residents and 

businesses to vote for their favourite high street shop or business which they feel 

deserves recognition. 

Foodie 

Fridays 

Love Wellington is supporting the hospitality 

businesses in Wellington – running its weekly 

‘Foodie Friday’ campaign to highlight the evergrowing 

variety of food and drink outlets on 

offer in Wellington…. 

Italian scooters on 

dislay in Wellington 

Market Square 

Wellington hosted a successful Italian Scooter 

Day in June, organised by the Italian Auto Club. 

09

LOVE 

Regeneration News 

MANNLEYS 

PUT DOWN 

PERMANENT 

ROOTS IN 

WELLINGTON 

Wellington’s Martial 

arts trio of triumps 

10 

Mannleys in Market Street have 

completed on the purchase of 

their office building as part of 

expansion plans. The estate agents 

was formed in 2012 by director 

Aaron Manley with its name 

changed to Mannleys in 2016 when 

co-director Chris Mann came on 

board. 

Aaron Manley said, “We want 

to support the community which 

we serve so it made total sense to 

invest permanently in this building 

- and in Wellington”. Co-director 

Chris Mann said, “It’s been a 

fantastic start to the year. We have 

won the Gold award for Telford for 

our lettings services in The British 

Property Awards” 



lovewellingtonshropshire 

Volunteer-run Judo club Wrekin Star have 

moved into the space above Wellington 

Market vacated by House of Prayer and are 

running weekly sessions for all abilities both 

junior and senior. 

“The club is led by experienced coaches 

with alumni including Commonwealth 

medallist Kelly Edwards and the sessions are 

fun, instructive and an ideal way to meet new 

people, get fit and learn a new skill - Judo is 

for absolutely everyone” commented Rebecca 

Gill. 

The first session is for free and for more 

information contact wsjc21@gmail.com or 

find them on Facebook. 

A huge congratulations to kick-boxing 

champion Wellington’s Elijah Everill, who 

took a first-round victory in Miami in May at 

Combat Karate 39, a full contact martial arts 

discipline. Elijah took just 49 seconds to knock 

Rahul Bhowmick out in the contest which was 

streamed live from the USA overnight. 

Having started training at the age of four, 

along with winning world titles, Elijah is also a 

coach, helping to train martial arts at his gym 

in Wellington. 

And finally, well done to local karate 

instructor Jaz Magill of Tiska Shropshire 

who took first place in the Kumite (sparring/ 

fighting) at the Tiska Black Belt National Karate 

Championships held at the University of 

Hertfordshire. 

Jaz runs classes at Wellington Leisure 

Centre and offers a free trial karate class, as 

well as a beginners class. To find out more 

please contact tiska.shropshire@gmail.com 

Entrepreneur Challenge in Wellington 

Budding young entrepreneurs will be in Wellington Market on Saturday 1 July with their products 

on display for the public to have a look and possibly purchase. The Entrepreneur Challenge is run 

by the Learning Community Trust which works with schools to deliver a ten week entrepreneur 

programme for students in year’s 7-10. 

Zoe Slattery, one of the voluntary business advisors said, “The students learn a range of skills 

whilst covering this programme and develop and manufacture products to sell to the public. We’re 

delighted to be working with Wellington Market to enable the students to sell their products and 

gain first hand experience of sales and customer services.”


LOVE 

MARTIN’S FOND FAREWELL 

FROM WELLINGTON 

Café 

fundraiser 

Martin Skehan, former 

Director of Specsavers in 

Wellington and Bridgnorth 

(and one quarter of the 

famous Wrekin Rowers) 

bid our neck of the woods a fond 

farewell as he relocated to Scotland 

after three decades of dedicated 

service to the Wellington community. 

He handed the reigns of Wellington 

Specsavers over to Emma Davies and 

Satinder Sidhu in 2018, both of whom 

he has mentored since 2007. They are 

looking forward to continuing to care 

for Martin’s loyal patients. 

Martin celebrated with the 

Wellington Specsavers team at The 

Cock Hotel and said it had been his 

absolute pleasure to serve the local 

community for the past 30 years. 

Keli’s business in award bonanza 

Keli King of The Little Green Pantry is celebrating being named as a finalist in a 

raft of awards. The business was a finalist in the Federation of Small Business 

Awards for Sustainability and Best Start Up Business; a finalist in the Shropshire 

Chamber Eco Award; and was a national finalist in the Small Awards in the Net 

Hero category. 

Keli has also been named as a High Street Hero by Telford & Wrekin Council for 

the second time. 

Boardroom Gaming Cafe on New Street, has 

launched a Crowdfunding campaign to raise 

funds for the refurbishment of additional 

function spaces. In the year since its opening 

the Boardroom Gaming Café has made an 

impression in Wellington, hosting popular 

events and providing work experience for 

local volunteers. Now it’s looking to expand 

its offer to create additional gaming space 

upstairs which would also be perfect for 

events, private hire and multi platform 

streaming or recording. There are also plans 

for development of the kitchen area to help 

the café diversify and enhance their current 

food and beverage offer. 

Owner Jon Drew said, “Our aim is to create 

a safe space within the Wellington community 

and beyond. A cafe that celebrates the 

uniqueness of all our guests. A space where 

every person who walks through the door can 

find their community.” 

The crowdfunding campaign aims to raise 

£4,000. “We have gone down the route of 

crowdfunding rather than increasing our 

prices as we’re determined to keep our 

facilities affordable for those that need them. 

We hope the Wellington community will see 

the need that we meet and support us and 

we thank people for their generosity.” 

Pictured is volunteer RJ with the former 

High Sheriff Selina Graham when she visited in 

April to see the great work of the Boardroom 

Gaming Café, along with Jon Drew. 

11


27 th Year... 

The theme for this year’s short story 

and poetry competition was ‘The Great 

Outdoors’. And we’re delighted to publish the 

winning entries from a strong field. 

The Great Outdoors 

by Short Story Winner Beryl Taylor 

12 

‘Daisy come back, you’re not quick 

enough to catch squirrels!’ 

Today it was the Spring Equinox. The 

sun pierced leafless trees halfway up 

the Wrekin, casting shadows across 

the path. Like her Celtic ancestors 

who had once lived on this hill, Sioned 

loved the energy of wild places. 

She paused and stared at the 

strange dark shape ahead. From her 

position at a bend in the path, it 

looked as if someone had fallen, or 

was resting against an old tree stump, 

one leg stretched out and somehow 

twisted, hat tipped forward, covering 

the face. 

The collie ran back, her ears pricked; 

together they watched first one, then 

more fallow deer running hesitantly 

and silently from clearing to clearing. 

Could it be an injured deer lying 

there under the sun dappled canopy? 

A buzzard circled lazily overhead, 

and the River Severn meandered 

through fields below. 

Of course, it is not a deer or a man 

the girl told herself; with some relief, 

as the form grew closer. 

It was part of an ancient tree, one 

twisted branch lying across the path, 

others resting against a stronger 

companion. But its human shape and 

aura left her feeling strangely uneasy. 

Daisy sniffed amongst the 

undergrowth, badgers burrowing 

somewhere close? ‘Come on! This is 

Hell’s Gate, we’re nearly at the top’ 

called Sioned. 

They walked on, up to a group of 

large rocks, where the path divided. 

The girl glanced back, then, drew in 

a sharp breath. Daisy gave a low growl. 

The fallen tree, surely it had altered 

its position? Sioned felt her blood turn 

cold. Today she was a trespasser in this 

part of the great outdoors. 

● Pictured above: Wellington Festival 

short story winner Beryl Taylor 

Peggie Harrison Schools’ 

Poetry Competition Winners 

We had over 200 entries this year from 12 different 

schools. The entries were judged and organised 

by Helen Donaghue and Sue Crampton and the 

winners were invited to a presentation on Saturday 

13 May when they were awarded their certificates 

and prizes of vouchers from the Wellington Orbit. 

The competition was part of the Wellington 

Festival, currently in its 27th year. 

List of winners: Paige Burrows, Georgia Everson, 

Swabir Issah, Zara Isitor, Oakley Pearson, Ehman 

Mehmood, Ibrahim Ali, Jessica Tonge and 

Burhaan-Al Hassan Maiga. 

Well done to all of you! 

wellington-shropshire.gov.uk/wellington-festival-2023

‘Imagine’ 

by Nick Pearson 

Wellington’s new Resident Poet 

Imagine being king of that hill, 

feeling ten miles high up in your fort, 

air filling your lungs, sky filling your heart, 

thousands of years beneath your feet, 

ten counties or more holding your gaze, 

a world’s worries banished by the wind. 

Imagine being armoured from top to toe, 

goggled and garbed against a fall, 

tracking up tracks, cruising down cracks, 

ancient shingles pressing your tread, 

a rare oak’s shadow across your back, 

the rush of the trail pounding your blood. 

Imagine being in the quiet of a wood, 

bluebells, ramsons, dog’s mercury, 

the trickle of water through iron and lime, 

deer switching the hazel and birch, 

badgers crossing your path at dusk, 

heritage hiding in the earth at every step. 

Imagine all of this outside your door – 

imagine Wellington and the great outdoors. 

● Pictured below: Peggie Harrison Poetry winners and 

Wellington Festival Poetry winner, and Wellington’s new 

Poet in Residence Nick Pearson 

Wellington Festival’s 

Six Saturdays in 

the Square 

All events are completely FREE to attend. 

1. SATURDAY 22 JULY 

10AM – 4PM 

The Wellington Orbit presents: 

‘CHITTY COMES TO 

WELLINGTON’ 

Come and see the famous car 

in all its glory along with added 

entertainment in the square! 

2. SATURDAY 29 JULY 

11AM – 2PM 

POLAND IN THE SQUARE 

Learn about interesting historical 

and geographical facts about 

Poland, activities for the 

children, dances from the Polish 

Dance School, food tasting and 

more! 

3. SATURDAY 5 AUGUST 

10AM – 3PM 

WELLINGTON’S FIRST EVER 

GREEN FESTIVAL 

Showcasing local environmental 

businesses, community groups, 

campaign groups and local 

charities that share the vision of 

a sustainable and safe world. 


10AM – 2PM 

HIGH STREET CELEBRATION 

FAMILY FUN DAY - funded by 

Telford and Wrekin Council 

Join us in the square for a day 

of fun with giant games, Flip the 

Clown, face painting, juggling, 

mascots and more! 

For this event only: FREE 

family films at The Orbit 

If you’ve never been to the 

cinema in Wellington before, this 

is a great opportunity to try it 

out for free! 

Everyone welcome but you 

must book your free place 

directly with The Orbit. 


11AM – 1PM 

MUSIC IN THE SQUARE 

Wellington (Telford) Brass Band 

give an open-air concert in the 

Market Square. 

An opportunity to listen to our 

very own brass band, performing 

from their extensive repertoire 

of music! 


10AM – 4PM 


‘WHEELS & REELS’ 

A captivating and dynamic event 

that seamlessly blends the 

excitement of wheels and the 

enchantment of reels! 

13 

LOVE 

wellington-shropshire.gov.uk/wellington-festival-2023



Joseph and the Amazing 

Technicolour Dreamcoat 

14 

Wellington played host 

to two outstanding 

performances of 

Joseph and the Amazing 

Technicolour Dreamcoat 

as part of the Wellington Festival. The 

cast and crew of over 100 put on a 

spectacular show that enthralled and 

delighted the packed audiences at All 

Saints Church on Saturday 13 May and 

resulted in two immediate standing 

ovations. 

Musically directed by the consistently 

brilliant Lorna Parkhouse, the cast 

included a specially formed community 

choir, the recently formed and clearly 

well practised Eyton and Wellington WI 

ukulele band, the angelic voices of St 

Patrick’s and Dothill Primary Schools, 

plus a host of incredibly talented 

soloists, including the harmonious, 

honeyed tones of the sparkly narrators. 

Practical support was given by All 

Saints, Wellington Rotary, and Eyton 

and Wellington WI sewing team and the 

costumes and props were on loan from 

the Belfry Theatre, TADLOP, Anthony’s 

of Wellington, Mannleys Estate Agents, 

Savers, The Manga Crate, Severn 

Hospice, Top Fruits, Love Wellington and 

more. 

There were too many highlights 

to mention including the hilariously 

comical shenanigans from the Hairy 

Ishmaelites (expertly played by Nick 

Brooke and our very own Town Crier 

Steve Warwood). Also popular were the 

delightfully enchanting puppet show, a 

beautifully performed Canaan Days sung 

by Rich Kee plus the final megamix from 

all the cast, choir and musicians with 

enthusiastic audience participation. 

However, the star of the show was 

undoubtedly the stellar performance 

by Will Haywood as Joseph, followed 

closely by the charismatic Pharoah by 

Crayg Wellbeloved. Along with the rest of 

the cast, Will sang his heart out and gave 

everything he had in his performance – 

in particular the touching rendition of 

‘Close Every Door.’ 

Sue Pointon, as Co-ordinator and 

Director, put together something that 

was quite phenomenal and the Festival 

Team would like to take this opportunity 

to thank Sue and all who were involved, 

in whatever capacity, in this Wellington 

Festival community event. 

By Paola Armstrong 

NEWS EXTRA 

Bayley Mile 

Another successful ‘Bayley Mile’ which saw 130 runners 

compete and ten schools participating took place, organised 

by Wellington Town Council, in May. Team wins went to Old 

Hall, Thomas Telford and Wrekin College; whilst records were 

broken by Jake Hopkins and Oliver Dolan. 

Thanks to Jim Mostyn and Wellington Rotary for helping 

to co-ordinate and marshal and medals were handed out by 

new mayor Cllr Paul Davis.

More good news from Wellington 

LOVE 

Wellington to hold their 

first ever Green Festival 

Wellington will host the event on 

Saturday 5 August in the Market 

Square and in the grounds of 

All Saints Church. Funded by 

Wellington Town Council, the 

day will be free to attend and will be part of the 

Wellington Festival’s ‘Six Saturdays in the Square’ 

programme. 

“The aim of the green day is to showcase local 

environmental businesses, community groups, 

campaign groups and local charities that share the 

vision of a sustainable and safe world,” said Paola 

Armstrong of Wellington Town Council. 

The town council is helping to organise the event 

with Jane and Kevin Bundy from Climate Action 

Hub, Keli King from The Little Green Pantry, Lynn 

Mann from Transition Telford and All Saints Eco 

Church, Liz Pinfield-Wells from Terracycle and 

Michelle D’Arcy Jewell from Shropshire Veggies and 

Vegans. 

“We welcome exhibitors from all relevant sectors 

and aim to have spaces for green businesses, 

biodiversity and local charities and green campaign 

groups. 

“The Green Festival is a fantastic first for 

Wellington and we’ve been working hard on 

planning this project since the end of last year. 

“The two objectives of the Wellington Festival 

this year are to bring the community together and 

increase footfall in the town and we are looking 

forward to an exciting summer in the town, with 

a range of attractions and events on offer,” Paola 

added. 

Prices for stalls start from £10 and to apply 

as an exhibitor or for more information please 

visit the Sustainable Wellington Facebook 

Page or for more information please contact 

Wellingtongreenfestival@gmail.com 

● Pictured from left: Liz Pinfield-Wells from Terracycle, Michelle D’Arcy Jewell from Shropshire Veggies and Vegans, Jane 

Bundy from Climate Action Hub, Paola Armstrong from Wellington Town Council, Keli King from The Little Green Pantry, 

Kevin Bundy from Climate Action Hub and in front Lynn Mann from Transition Telford and All Saints Eco Church. 

Great 

Outdoors 

themed 

art 

exhibition 


themed exhibition 

will be curated 

by Wellington 

Community Art 

Gallery, on behalf 

of Wellington Town 

Council, and is open 

to the public from 

Friday 4 through to 

Sunday 6 August, 

at Creative Training 

Spaces, 8-10 Duke 

Street, Wellington. 

Saturday 

5 

August 

15 

Coronation round up 

Wellington put on an impressive show for the 

Coronation of HRH King Charles III. Post box 

toppers adorned the town, Union Jack flags 

flew, and shops proudly decorated their 

windows in honour of the King. Local artist 

Agata Gauthier was even commissioned to 

paint the windows of The Orbit. 

On Saturday, a royal celebration was held in the 

Market Square with the Wellington (Telford) Brass 

Band playing, the Town Crier Steve Warwood declaring 

the festivities; face painting, balloon modelling, street 

entertainment, and of course, coronation cupcakes. 

Terry Leech even popped by in his vintage coach, 

which is the same age as the King himself! 

A Coronation Plaque was unveiled within Wellington 

Leisure Centre by the Mayor of Wellington at the time, 

Cllr Dorothy Roberts. The plaque was produced by the 

British Ironworks Centre near Oswestry, on behalf of 

the Lord Lieutenant Mrs Anna Turner JP and is 

one of 20 installed in Shropshire towns. 

On the Sunday Arleston Community Centre 

held a family day and local resident Amanda 

Goode invited her neighbours to celebrate 

the King’s Coronation in her beautiful garden 

with more than 40 people attending. 

For those who were feeling a little more 

adventurous, there were two Coronation Walks - 

organised by Wellington Walkers Are Welcome. 

The first was a short route to explore Wellington’s 

roads with a royal connection, and the second to 

Dothill Nature Reserve and the bluebell woods at 

Apley. 

The weekend concluded with a Coronation Service 

held at All Saints. Wellington Town Council were 

immensely thankful for the people who attended and 

all who contributed.

What’s On in Wellington 

Here’s a round up of events going on during the summer months in Wellington. Many of these events 

are organised by Wellington Town Council for the community and the majority are free to attend. 

JULY 

WEEKEND OF 1&2 JULY 

Wellington Open Gardens Weekend 

organised by Community Resource 

SATURDAY 1 JULY 

3.30 – 5.30pm 

Musical Memories concert at All Saints 

Wellington in Bloom Competition Judging 

between 3-14 July 

FRIDAY 21 & SATURDAY 22 JULY 

July Art Exhibition at Methodist Church 


10am – 4pm 


‘Chitty comes to Wellington’ 

Come and see the famous car in all its glory 

along with added entertainment in the 

square! 

TUESDAY 25 JULY 

11am - 1pm 

PJ the Children and family entertainer 

Wellington Family Fun Days at Bowring Park 

No booking needed – just turn up 


11am – 2pm 

Poland in the Square 

Learn about interesting historical and 

geographical facts about Poland, activities 

for the children, dances from the Polish 

Dance School, food tasting and more! 


Late Night Opening in the Market 

AUGUST 

TUESDAY 1 AUGUST 

11am - 1pm 

Family workshop with Kevin’s community 

circus. 

Tightrope, trampolines, cycocycles, hand 

held stilts, yo-yos, spinning plates, hula 

hoops, pedalo, jack in the box table, foam 

pogo jumpers, diablos and more! 

Wellington Family Fun Days at Bowring 

Park. No booking needed – just turn up 

FRIDAY 4 – SUNDAY 6 AUGUST 

Wellington Festival Art Exhibition at 

Creative Training Spaces 

SATURDAY 5 AUGUST 

10am – 3pm 

Wellington’s first ever Green Festival 

Showcasing local environmental businesses, 

community groups, campaign groups and 

local charities that share the vision of a 

sustainable and safe world. 


11am - 1pm 

PJ the Children and family entertainer 


No booking needed – just turn up 


10am – 2pm 

High Street Celebration Family Fun Day 

funded by Telford and Wrekin Council 

Join us in the square for a day of fun with 

giant games, Flip the Clown, face painting, 

juggling, mascots and more! 

For this event only: FREE family films at 

The Orbit 

If you’ve never been to the cinema 

in Wellington before, this is a great 

opportunity to try it out for free! Everyone 

welcome but you must book your free 

place directly with The Orbit. 


11am - 1pm 


Boardroom Gaming Café presents Roll on 

inked learning and Blasting off Rockers 

Practical science demonstrations with 

participation. Making air powered straw and 

bottle rockets. 


11am – 1pm 

Music in the Square 

Wellington (Telford) Brass Band give an 

open-air concert in the Market Square. 

An opportunity to listen to our very own 

brass band, performing from their extensive 

repertoire of music! 


10am – 4pm 


‘Wheels & Reels’ 

A captivating and dynamic event that 

seamlessly blends the excitement of wheels 

and the enchantment of reels! 

SAT 26 AUGUST 

Late night opening in Market live 

entertainment from ‘Skaburst’ 


11am - 1pm 


Wrekin Forest School and Alison Bees Class 

(booking essential – limited places) 

Tent building, wood craft, marshmallow 

toasting, whittling and other bush craft 

activities. 

Awareness of bees and their importance 

in the environment with candle making 

eventbrite.co.uk/e/alisons-bee-classbowring-park-tickets-619596227997 

and 

eventbrite.co.uk/e/alisons-bee-classtickets-619598655257 

SEPTEMBER 

11-17 SEPT 

Wellington Walking Festival 

Wellington sculptor exhibits alongside Dali 

Sculptures from Wellington artist Jacob Chandler will 

be exhibited as part of The Shrewsbury Arts Trail in 

July and August with the theme ‘movement’. As well 

as Jacob’s work there will be three bronze sculptures 

created by legendary artist Salvador Dali as well as 

nearly 600 other local artists.

This Is Our Wellington Issue 13

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