I grew up in Wellington, a market town in Telford. Telford is really a tale of two cities (or new towns in this case). On the one hand, you have some of the most amazing sites I have ever been. Wellington sits nestled at the base of the wrekin…a place of genuine historic interest as the primary seat of the corvonii tribe and once, quite possibly, the grounds where they fell to the brutal roman empire. You have the ironbridge…the birthplace of industry, where you can find little gems such as Blists Hill…a working victorian village, boasting a real ale public house, a traditional chip shop and a metal works and so much more. From an outsiders perspective, Telford should really appeal to anyone with an interest in history and beauty. But then there is the other side to Telford…the fact that it is a new town, as has been mentioned above, makes it all the more easier to drown in social depravity. Having lived here for several years, I know what the younger generation are like (I’m only 25 but there really is a massive gap between age here). I have been jumped, spat at, had stones thrown at me, driven at by some idiot in his “souped up” vauxhall nova…and I have never done anything to warrant such behaviour. The dregs of humanity that you see standing outside the spar shops in various districts (Arleston being the worst offender in my mind), for instance, really are a stain on what was once, and could be again, quite a charming, beautiful area. to conclude, it is pretty safe to say that Telford is indeed a **** town…but once you can ignore the illiterate, alcoholic youth around here, you will see it is actually quite pleasant.
By: Chris Moon
