YouTube 10 years on - The best from Shropshire

But even he would probably have been surprised to see how a single internet site has given cute kittens, cunning dogs and irate motorists a fleeting taste of worldwide recognition.

It is 10 years since the YouTube video-sharing website was launched, and there is no doubt that it has transformed the world of televisual entertainment.

A decade ago, what we watched on television was determined almost entirely by what the large broadcasting organisations deigned to show us. But 10 years on, anybody with a smartphone can transmit video footage to a worldwide audience.

All manner of people upload videos of themselves doing pretty much anything, for the whole world to see, and Shropshire folk have shown they are as keen as anyone to be part of the phenomenon.

How else could you explain the "Shropshire Curling Team", which shows a group of women apparently trying their hand at the Olympic sport in a suburban street, armed with a skateboard and three brooms.

But while most of the videos are only ever watched by a small number of people, some of them become an overnight sensation, creating the most unlikely of celebrities.

For example, who would have thought that Dash, a Shropshire rescue dog with Houdini-like escapology skills, would become an international star? An astonishing 970,000 viewers from around the world have viewed footage of him squeezing through a tiny cat-flap since it was posted on YouTube in January.

Owners Paul Groves and Nicky Gilligan, of Newport, said they had been astounded by the level of interest in the video of their pet, who they took in from Shrewsbury Dogs Trust at the start of the year.

The gate had been installed at the family home to stop the Saluki from getting upstairs, but the dog left the couple scratching their heads by repeatedly managing to get through while they were at work.

In an attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery, they installed a video camera, and they could not believe their eyes when they saw Dash squeezing through the tiny space.

Paul said: "It is incredible that it has captured so many people's imagination. It is just a funny video, but people seem to like it and be sharing it all over the place.

"Dash is a beautiful dog and he has a really good temperament. He's playful and we're delighted we have him."

Last month saw the extraordinary "road rage" clip, which attracted two million views in 48 hours after it was posted on YouTube by Shropshire lorry driver Mark Hazell.

Mr Hazell, who filmed the incident on his dashboard camera, is seen getting involved in a heated discussion with the driver of a car towing a caravan, which pulled across the front of his vehicle on the M6 near the M5 slip road at junction 8.

Mr Hazell can be heard giving the man a dressing-down in no uncertain terms, and the car driver in turn gestures back to the lorry driver.

YouTube has also given rise to several video crazes. Some such as the "ice bucket challenge" – where people were encouraged to shower themselves in freezing water – were generally considered to be good humoured and have also raised considerable sums of money for charity.

Others, such as the "neknominate challenge" – where people dare each other to carry out on-camera drinking challenges – have been more controversial.

Few people would take offence at the "I Charleston the World" craze which has been sweeping the site over the past few weeks, where groups perform the 1920s dance at locations all over the globe. Last week Shrewsbury got in on the act, producing a stunning video featuring more than 50 dancers at some of Shrewsbury's most recognisable locations.

The Dingle, the Square, Shrewsbury Castle and Pengwern Boathouse all feature as backdrops for the video, which was produced by local Charleston teacher Sarah Bright.

The group dressed up in period clothing and used a vintage car to add to the atmosphere for the film, which took three days to shoot.

Sarah said: "It was great fun because everyone was so excited but we were battling with the elements – the first day it was raining so we had to wait for a few dry minutes to get some filming in.

"Local people really got on board – the Sabrina Boat, the Libertine, the Castle, all the locals really welcoming being part of it which was great."

Offbeat dance videos are often popular. This month a clip featuring a group of Telford students dancing with a policeman received more than 5,000 hits after being posted on the site.

The dance, featuring an Austin Powers lookalike leading a group of students and a uniformed constable on a bizarre dance, was organised as part of a fundraising day in memory of murdered Shropshire teenager Georgia Williams, who had attended the college.

While the college's performing arts students were the driving force behind the production, it was the David Brent-like dancing skills of police officer Carl Morgan – whose daughter is studying performing arts at the college – which really stole the show.

The event was based on Georgia's bucket list, which included learning the Austin Powers dance and appearing in a music video.

The music video begins with a group of students standing around in a college yard with the officer. Suddenly, the Austin Powers lookalike, wearing a purple suit and wig, appears, and starts to dance. After a few seconds, all the people standing around him, including Carl, who is based at Wellington Police Station, have joined in the dance.

Georgia was just 17 when she was murdered by Jamie Reynolds of Avondale Road, Wellington, in May 2013, and a trust was set up in her memory to allow young people to live their dreams.

Georgia's mother Lynnette said: "Two of the things on Georgia's bucket list were to learn the Austin Powers dance and be in a music video, so it means a lot that the students have combined both of them.

"It was really touching to see students from the college that she went to getting together in her memory and to raise money for other young people."

As well as providing a bit of light entertainment, YouTube has also been used by community groups wanting to broadcast important events to a wider audience. For example, highlights of the St George's Day parade through the streets of Newport town centre have attracted hundreds of viewers, opening the proceedings to people who might never have seen it otherwise.

One film of the event includes the cheeky jibe that "things got so bad they brought in a town crier from Shrewsbury."

Last year's Ellesmere Carnival was also captured on film.

Shropshire Council has used the platform to market the county to visitors. In one six-minute clip Shropshire Way project officer Jim Stabler highlights the joys of the many country walks in our area.

Another longer video, by Much Wenlock-based tourism organisation Virtual Shropshire, promotes the county's "Golden Sixty", showing footage of 60 of the area's top must-see sights and attractions. The same organisation features a short clip entitled "Shropshire From The Air", showing a bird's eye view of the county filmed by a drone, including views of Ludlow and Stokesay castles, as well as the lake at Ellesmere and Buildwas Abbey.

According to its founder, Jawed Karim, the inspiration for YouTube first came from Janet Jackson's infamous 2004 Super Bowl 'slip' incident and later from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Karim could not easily find video clips of either event online, which led to the idea of a video sharing site.

Between then and now, the site has taken on a life of its own. We're all broadcasters now.