Shropshire is one of the least populated counties too, with more sheep than people! Also near Wales, this is rich with canals, a throwback to the Industrial Revolution when boats would carry goods from the West Midlands to London. Home to the ‘blue remembered hills’, one journalist was sent around the country to find his favourite county. Northumberland almost won – but he didn’t like the wind and cold, so was pipped by Shropshire!
More Sheep Than People (like Cumbria!)
Just like Cumbria (and Northumberland), Shropshire has more sheep than people outside of tourist season. Sheep are intelligent amusing creatures that recognise up to 50 people for up to 2 years, and know when you are smiling at them! Leave them alone as they can easily spook and miscarry.
Always follow the Countryside Code to keep dogs and livestock safe. Learn how to right an overturned sheep or it will die (hold upright until rain has drained off, to prevent it happening again).
A ‘Foodie Town’ with No McDonald’s
The foodie town of Ludlow is home to some of the best farmers’ markets and like Tavistock (Devon), is one of the few towns in England where there is no branch of McDonald’s, as there is not enough custom to warrant one. The nearby city of Shrewsbury is more like a pleasant quite town, with beautiful Tudor buildings and cobbled streets.
The media would have you think that the world’s most biggest fast food chain was as popular as ever. But in fact, sales have fallen by around 1% recently, meaning a decline in net income of around $2 billion. The company says it’s due to a cost-of-living crisis (a Big Mac now costs double, so it has launched special deals and Saver menus).
However, others point to the new ‘breed of consumers’. Today, convenience is not enough, nor telling people that beef comes from ‘happy cows’. Modern shopping is about lifestyle choices and values, as much as convenience. Customers are now more savvy that ‘British meat’ does not necessarily mean free-range meat, and increasingly people are more concerned about animal welfare, ethics and environmental policies of companies they choose to support, and demanding to know how they are making a difference.
