Hello You 24: On a bench in Castlefields

Hello You with Jim Hawkins

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Hello You 24: On a bench in Castlefields

A memorial mystery, a soundscape, the Weir Café story and Shrewsbury Sarah!

Jim Hawkins

Mar 04, 2024

Transcript

I’ve been to sit on another bench, to see what happens.

Last Tuesday, I was at the junction of New Park Road and John Street, in the Castlefields area of Shrewsbury.

There’s a memorial on the bench, but I know nothing of the story behind it. Can you fill in any details? I read the inscription during the podcast.

It’s quite a busy location for passing traffic, so there’s a brief soundscape which is mostly cars and buses going past from left to right, or vice versa. It’s in super-vivid stereo, like all my soundscapes. If you want to get the most from these episodes, sonically speaking, listen on headphones or earbuds? Interviews are mostly recorded in stereo, too, so it’s like you’re sitting there with us.

What’s the story behind the Weir Cafe? Find out from the daughter of the man who built it, and who now works there. Let’s just say that activities on the site are now much more wholesome (hi Dad!) than some of the previous ones …

And if you want to know who’s doing what in Shrewsbury, as well as subscribing to this podcast you need to follow Shrewsbury Sarah! In this episode, she explains how she went from B&B to boosterism. Find Shrewsbury Sarah here on Instagram (great hair!) and spread the word about her?

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Let me know what you think of this episode, and if you have any suggestions for other benches in Shrewsbury - or elsewhere in Shropshire - where I could sit and chat to people. Maybe we could have a conversation on a bench? Tell me something deep and life-changing, or not, it’ll just be good to talk to you.

On the subject of ‘life-changing’, I have a truly incredible story to share with you in the next episode-but-one. I really don’t want you to miss it, so subscribe now (it’s free!) to make sure you hear it as soon as it’s out.

And if anything about what I do makes you smile, think, talk to someone or whatever, you probably know other lovely people like yourself who’d enjoy it too. So, why not share it with them?

Refer a friend

Likewise, if there’s something you’d like to talk about with me, or an issue that you think deserves wider attention, let me know?

Discussion about this podcast

Hello You with Jim Hawkins

I’m trying to give you something a little different. Hello You is about stuff, and things. People, and stories. Shrewsbury, and Shropshire. Mental health and well-being. History and heritage. Arts, culture and music. Faith, belief and the complexities of life.

I’m a good listener. It’s what I do. And for Hello You, I’m listening to (and talking with) fascinating people, mostly but not always from Shropshire, so that you can hear what they have to say.

It's public-service local journalism that cares about people. Audio that brings you the voices of people you might not hear from otherwise. Interviews conducted with compassion and empathy. Thoughtful, positive, good-humoured conversations, informed local storytelling, and commentary that’s not afraid to get righteously angry on occasion.

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