Shrewsbury Madness

It's that wonderful time of year when my two daughters and myself meet up at my sister's home outside Shrewsbury for a stay overnight before the big shop. My sister and brother-in-law are very generous and put us all up for the night. They then feed us a wonderful three course meal, supply us with wine and followed by a lovely laze on their most comfortable settee in front of an open fire. Such a special time to catch up on all our news and have some special time with my sister and her family. This was the 4th time of doing this and it is becoming a precious tradition.

The next morning we are fed breakfast and then sent on our merry way to Shrewsbury. This year is slightly different as my one daughters is pregnant with her second child and having some health issues which affects her ability to walk far. So I managed to hire a wheelchair from the red cross for her. Now I nor my other daughter have had experience of pushing a wheelchair far or around shops. It certainly is an eye opener. Most people are kind and help as much as they can but there were a few who grumbled and treated us as people not entitled to be out shopping. Discovered it was fine to be around the large shopping malls and easy to push the wheelchair but getting around the cute individual shops outside the malls were a nightmare. Most of them had steps to negotiate and small doors. Then inside the shops there were displays that meant it was rather difficult to squeeze by without sending things flying. We eventually came up with the idea that we pushed my daughter to the shop door, she then got out and climbed the step inside the shop, and then we half folded the wheelchair and left it somewhere inside the shop not blocking peoples way. We gave up trying to push her around the inside of the shops. Needless to say we did not buy so much this year but we did have lots of fun trying to push the chair up and down the hills. Lunch was had at the indoor market at the Birds Nest Café. This is a fantastic café doing all home cooked food. Absolutely yummy.

The indoor market is great, full of life and diversity. I noticed that there was also a fish restaurant which looked divine and a Chinese restaurant as well as all the wonderful stalls.

If you are ever in this area then do visit this market - I think it's the best I've ever seen in the UK. Shrewsbury is a lovely old town and the shops have lots of character and looked so festive.

After lunch we decided it was time to head to THE dress shop. This is somewhere that sells clothes from lots of different stores at reasonable prices. Tara Clothing - they only seem to have a facebook page.

Well us three girlies had such fun trying on the clothes. The assistants were so helpful saying what looked good and bad. Also quite a few of the clothes were these new fashion one size fits all so we could try each others clothes on. We all came away with some new clothes. Then onto the last shop as time was running out - Listers. They sell lots of lovely things for your home and the aisles were wide enough for the wheelchair. We bought a few more gifts from here(could have spent lots more money) and then headed back UP HILL, with all the bags, to the car park.

 Our two cars were virtually the only ones left! I did check what time the car park closed but I guess by 6.15pm most people had gone home! We had a great day and I was so pleased that we had the wheelchair as it meant my daughter could share the day with us. Thanks to my sister and family for their hospitality and thanks to the Britsh Red Cross Society for enabling us to have a wheelchair and have this special girlie day.