Category: Events

November Talk

Ageing Well in the Strettons

Picture of people holding hands looking at sunset

A talk by Graham Haynes – a Shropshire lad, a Church Stretton resident and a post-graduate researcher at Bangor University.

11th November 2025, URC hall, 2.30pm

According to the 2021 census data, Church Stretton’s population is heavily skewed towards older residents, yet despite this, our health seems to be robust, with above average numbers of residents reporting to be in good or fair health. Is there something about our community that may be contributing to this scenario? Graham will present findings from his research about the role of community in facilitating older people to age well, in a rural context. These will include the views of older people who have taken part in a small-scale study based in The Strettons.

PLEASE BOOK YOUR PLACE – as we expect a large number of people wanting to attend this event.

You can book by email admin@strettonlibraryfriends.org.uk

 or Telephone/ Text  0771 049 1951

ADMISSION: £5 on the door

Swifts in the Strettons

Discover the secrets of the Swift with Julia Cowley from the Stretton Area Wildlife Group

16th July at 7.30pm in the library. Admission £5.00

The Common Swift (Apus apus) has graced our skies for millions of years. These remarkable birds spend almost their entire lives on the wing – feeding, mating, even sleeping in flight – and touch the ground only to nest.

Each year, swifts return from Africa to breed in the very places they were born. Many of us delight in watching them swoop and soar over Church Stretton on warm summer evenings.

But swifts are now critically endangered due to the loss of their breeding habitat and the global decline in insect populations – their only source of food.

Join Julie Cowley from the Stretton Area Wildlife Group at the Library on Wednesday 16 July at 7.30pm for a fascinating talk about these ancient aerial acrobats, learn how dependent they are on us, and what we can do to help them.

Admission: £5 on the door
All proceeds go to support the Library.

AGM 2025

AGM 2025, Wednesday 11th June

United Reform Church Hall, 7.30pm

You will hear more about the new funding agreement made between the Town Council & Shropshire Council to support the running of the library.  

Hayley Reynolds, Church Stretton Library Manager will also give a short presentation on  the impact  the Friends of Church Stretton Library has on library’s operations.

The AGM will include the annual report and accounts presented by the Chair and Treasurer, as well as a vote on new trustee appointments.

Following the AGM there will be wine, soft drinks and nibbles in the URC garden.

You can download the agenda and papers for the meeting here

ALL WELCOME

Geology Talk

Photo of the Long Mynd from Caer Caradoc

An illustrated talk by local resident Peter Toghill

March 19th 2.30pm in the library. Admission £5.00

Following his previous popular talks, we are delighted that Dr Peter Toghill has agreed to return with a third talk. This time he will be focusing on the rocks we find in the area and what they have been used for.

Church Stretton lies in one of the most varied geological areas in the UK, with rocks representing 11 of the 12 recognised periods of geological times. The great variety of rocks found around Church Stretton has been used for so many economic purposes, including building stone, road stone, roofing tiles, metal ores, sand and gravel, fertilisers and so much more.

You can expect to see some fantastic photos of the area which will illustrate this talk. 

Come and find out more about this fascinating topic.

All proceeds to go to the library

Medical Royal Colleges  

Gentlemen’s Clubs or Medical Movers and Shakers?

An illustrated talk by Andrew Hall

What role do they play in the health care we receive? 

What might their role be in the future?

 For most people, the medical royal colleges come into their consciousness only when some medical stories are in the news. However, the colleges feature heavily in the lives of doctors training to take up specialist medical practice. The colleges have been around in some form and in some cases, for over 500 years. The model has lasted – even if it has changed hugely – new colleges are still being established in the twenty-first century.  

So, what do they do? What have they contributed to British and international medical advancement over the years?  What might their role be in the future? 

With such a long history it is unsurprising that the colleges are far from being a uniform set of bodies.  There are similarities, but each is a separate and independent organisation with a different provenance and different characteristics.

Andrew held senior roles in two medical colleges for over 20 years. Do join us for this talk which will lift the lid on the medical royal colleges – unique but, perhaps, obscure institutions. And, may be, answer for yourself if they are “gentleman’s clubs or medical movers and shakers”. 

  • Date:  Wednesday 29 January 2025
  • Time:   2.30pm
  • Venue: Church Stretton Library
  • Cost:  £5 per head
  • All proceeds will go to the library

Author Talk

Thursday 7th November 2024 , 7pm in the library

You will hear from Meredith about his latest novel. “Gorgeous and Adorable”, a 1970s-set roller-coaster ride of a thriller about a young couple in way over their heads. The novel features some of the most loveable (and most despicable) characters imaginable – but who will come out on top?

Local author Meredith Vivian will talk about his experience as a novelist, plus read extracts from his latest book  to whet our appetites .

Author Meredith Vivian is blind. According to him:

“The 1970s were my formative time, when I was a teenager – when life seemed full of promise and possibility. However, it was also the time when I began to lose my sight. Thus, “Gorgeous and Adorable” is a book full of hopes and fears, highs and lows, rather like my own life back then.”

MEREDITH VIVIAN, OBE, grew up in London and worked for the Department of Health for many years before leaving to become a clinical hypnotherapist and author and settle in Church Stretton. He has taken on many voluntary roles and is the current Chair of Mayfair. He is also a non-executive director of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin NHS Integrated Care Board.

Please come along to support this event to help raise funds for the library.

The talk will be followed by drinks and nibbles.

All welcome!

Tickets £7.50 on the door.

THE JOHN TRADESCANTS:Nurserymen, plants hunters and gardeners to a king

Wednesday 16th October 2.30pm in the library

This illustrated talk by Heather Williams combines her keen interest in both horticulture and history.

The Tradescants worked for some of the most powerful men in England and they were all men. John Tradescant the elder was born in 1570 and his son died in 1662 so they covered between them a very exciting period of British history. Both travelled widely, as far east as Russia and as far west as Virginia collecting rare bulbs and seeds of plants.  Among the seeds brought back to introduce to English gardens were great American trees including magnolias, bald cypress and tulip tree, and garden plants such as phlox and asters.

Their adventures included possible spying, encounters with wars and pirates and using their collection of ‘curiosities’ running the first museum open to all for payment of a small fee.

Before moving to Church Stretton Heather was Chair of the South West Shropshire Historical Society, and more recently she was Chair of the Shropshire branch of the Hardy Plant Society.

Admission £5.00 payable on the day