National treasure Clare Balding on form in Shrewsbury
If you're a general sporting fan then Theatre Severn was the place to be on Sunday night.
Clare Balding, sport presenter, commentator and reporter is in some eyes a national treasure, loved by many who lights up television screens across the country when the main sporting events come around.
On Sunday evening, for one night only Balding was in Shrewsbury giving a colourful and entertaining talk on her life and career, to help raise money for the Samaritans of Shrewsbury.
Always one for charity, she revealed how she had been to the county many times due to her BBC Radio Four programme ramblings and that is how she was asked to do a special fundraiser.
In a world where celebrities and well known people charge big money to perform at shows like this, she did it for nothing which is pretty impressive in itself.
She began by talking what everyone knows her for, horses, and her career as an amateur champion jockey before moving onto presenting.
She recalled funny anecdotes about times presenting with the likes of Willy Carson, and funny interviews with others such as when her brother won a race at Ascot and when she interviewed an excitable South African father at the Olympics.
The Olympics are what she has become renowned for in recent years, and she recalled her best memories from those days.
It was an interactive talk of two halves, with slide shows and videos of Balding's career, and from the reaction in the room it was safe to say she received a warm welcome from a packed house of sporting fans.
She also touched in interesting points where she believes sport needs to change.
Women's sport and raising the profile is a big part of Balding's life, and something she has campaigned for and her take on this, and life itself was interesting.
At times it felt as though we had gone along to an inspirational conference of some sort, and the audience was hanging on her every word.
She also revealed that women's sport wasn't getting on TV as much because channels believe their share prices will drop, something which Balding passionately disputed.
The presenter took questions from the audience, and answered everything honestly and frankly.
Basically, it was a chat with a sports presenter as if you were in her front room. A one off show that was well worth the money and and all for a good cause.
