We’ve certainly taken to taking it easy here. We knew the weather wasn’t predicted to be up to much today so we hadn’t planned anything more than having a slow morning and venturing out to collect some supplies – and possibly a bit of exploring.

As it was the day very much went to plan. The rain started dropping from leaden skies about 10:00 and never let up so we relaxed and enjoyed a leisurely brunch before sallying forth to nearby Wellington where I’d (thanks to the wonders of the internet) found a decent but typically tatty Asian supermarket where we could stock up on a few exotic culinary ingredients to add to our collection. The drive into the town via the backroads was interesting as it showcased just how much new housing is being built in the area. Wellington appears to be expanding at quite a rate and not just on the outskirts, we passed several new developments in the town centre where brownfield sites were being reused. For me, this always begs the question. If we’re demolishing factories for housing, what are people doing for a living nowadays?

Much as it would’ve been good to explore the town we had other bits to pick up so made a bee-line for the town’s bigger neighbour, Shrewsbury. I have to admit to having a soft spot for Shrewsbury. In some ways its one of England’s most underrated and undiscovered towns. Yet it has a wealth of history and some amazing architecture, which is hardly surprising as the town has 660 listed buildings! There’s a glut of timber-framed buildings dating from the 15th-16th centuries and medieval street layouts with lots of winding, fascinating alleys. Plus, far more independent shops survive here than in many comparable towns. Sure, there’s all the big names you’d expect to find (M&S, Boots, etc) as well as all the charity shops that have become a fixture of UK high streets but then there’s many bespoke boutiques, tailors, pottery shops, cafes and many others that give the place a real local feel and identity. Oh, there’s also some cracking pubs, like the Loggerheads, a tiny, multi-room real-ale pub that looks drunk even if you’re not. There’s probably not a true vertical line in the place!

The three-storey building has an 18th century brick shell which is believed to encase an earlier stone structure from the 1600s. One of the rooms is identified as having been ‘men only’ until 1975. With the weather being what it was today it seemed like a good excuse for the pair of us to pop in for a quick drink. Dawn’s never explored the town before, so really enjoyed what she saw. No doubt we’ll return when the weather picks up.

Right now we’re back in the warm and dry, cooking some of the ingredients we picked up earlier in Wellington and the Sainsbury’s on the outskirts of Shrewsbury. Not only had the supermarket run out of petrol, there was many gaps on the shelves. Odd, some people are desperate to claim that none of this has anything whatsoever to do with Brexit – no siree! Odd then that I can’t find any mention of either shortage hitting any EU country or their national media and politicians going to town on the problems. Funny, that…

Meanwhile, we’ve had a lovely evening at ‘home’ doing what we both enjoy doing. Cooking. I made spicy Bombay potato whilst Dawn steamed some beans and cooked Salmon in spices, then improvised a dish that produced an aromatic beetroot curry. Here’s the result…

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