December 2007 Issue

Mince pies and make-believe

1880s Christmas at Blists Hill

As the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust turns 40, Shirley Tart takes a Christmas trip to Blists Hill Victorian Town, the most seasonal – and most visited – of its 10 museums

Hat-trick award for The Shropshire Magazine

Henry Carpenter, second from left, accepts the Midlands Magazine of the Year award – for the third year in a row.

The Shropshire Magazine has been named Midlands Magazine of the Year for the third consecutive year

Fishmore, no less

Diver scallops with cauliflower, raisins and sherry

Shirley Tart and friends enjoy a sumptuous meal at the newest of Ludlow’s gourmet restaurants

Getting the drift

Photographer Mike Hayward enjoys the evening sunshine with pilot Lindsay Muir and Gill Guest

Gill Guest and photographer Mike Hayward take to the skies to enjoy an alternative view of Shropshire’s glories

Some words of wisdom

Goodbye Gay Meadow (Matthew Ashton, £24.99)

Books are ever-popular Christmas presents and it’s amazing how many are published each year which have a direct relevance to Shropshire. Here are a few titles with county connections well worth considering as presents

Run Santa, run

Santas ready for the off at Oswestry last year

The participants in last year’s inaugural Hope House Santa Run enjoyed a sleigh-free slog around Oswestry. Neil Thomas was in the thick of it