Town trip livens a lazy lockdown...

Well, this is disgraceful really... I've just realised it's almost exactly five months since I posted anything here. And the Facebook stream appears to have stopped in the meantime, but it's back up and running again now.
Like everyone else, I've spent the last few months pretty much confined to home, which is just a mile or so down the road from Zoe and Melissa Evans's Rowton Vineyard.
If I do get out - usually for shopping or a takeaway - I pass the vineyard there and back, and I have to say it's looking pretty spruce ladies, with the trellising all in place and the pruning and weeding under control.
It's a relatively small site, but it has a great aspect, sweeping down from the A458 towards what I think is a small brook at the bottom of the slope.
The trellis takes on different shapes as you drive past in the direction of Welshpool. It's going to look spectacular when the vines start greening up.
Having received my first dose of the Bill Gates microchip (only kidding) and suffering from a degree of cabin fever, I did venture into Shrewsbury this morning where I actually got to talk to actual people face to face - socially distanced of course.
The poor lady in Marks and Sparks who foolishly asked me 'can I help?' got sidetracked for 15 minutes by some burbling fool who insisted on giving her virtually his complete life story.
I fear Robin Nugent at Iron and Rose, the wine shop on the top floor of the Shrewsbury Market Hall must have felt he'd suffered a similar fate.
Turns out he knows the Goddards at Commonwood. I asked him to pass on my best wishes next time he was in touch.
Once the madness has ended, he's planning to open a tasting section next to the shop based on the same lines as his other venture, Glouglou.
Robin's on Instagram and Twitter @iron_and_rose.

​Originally posted on the home page on 29/03/2021