Phil Gillam: On Parade at a favourite Shrewsbury spot
If ever I’m in Shrewsbury and have some time on my hands, I love to wander around the collection of shops now known as The Parade.
This grand old building – in the shadow of St Mary’s Church – was originally, of course, the Royal Salop Infirmary.
And in 1984 it even became something of a film star, featuring in the much-loved and highly atmospheric film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, filmed at various locations across the county town and starring the wonderful George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. (A favourite film made in my favourite town).
Today, this fine building is home to a wide variety of shops offering everything from clothes and shoes to collectables, gifts and jewellery. It’s charming!
Anyway, I was fascinated to read a reference to the old RSI the other day; an item in the Chronicle reminding us of the situation it was facing exactly 40 years ago.
This is what the 1978 article said:
“Shrewsbury’s ‘white elephant’, the Royal Salop Infirmary, is to be put up for sale on the open market. The building, which has been empty and boarded up since November last year (1977), had been offered to a number of local authority and public service departments.
“The borough council, which set up a special working party to look at the Infirmary as a possible site for a £2 million theatre complex, has now said it has no objection to the health authority putting the building up for sale.
“Area Health Authority Chairman Mr Frank Leath revealed that anyone buying the building for conversion to some other use would face a phenomenal amount of structural work.”
So what happened next?
Well it certainly didn’t become a theatre complex.
Instead, along came a local businessman by the name of Mr Bob Freeman, a gentleman who would later be hailed as “the saviour of Shrewsbury” for bringing back to life some of the county town’s most historic and attractive buildings.
Bob Freeman – who died last December at the age of 88 – was a county councillor, author, member of the Drapers Guild, and family man with a remarkable background, having been born Robin Montier Day and having ran away from home at the age of 13. He adopted a false identity and eluded capture despite a notice in the News of the World offering the then massive sum of £200 for news of his whereabouts.
Part of his enduring legacy was his determination to rescue some of Shrewsbury’s most prominent buildings from uncertain futures – including the old RSI.
He bought it in 1980, restored the building, and transformed it into flats and The Parade shopping complex.
But let’s go back to the very start of this story.
The Royal Salop Infirmary was built for the people of Shropshire with work beginning in 1826 and completed by 1830.
The architect was E. H. Haycock who designed the building in the Greek Revival style.
An additional wing was built in 1870 in matching style.
It was in 1915 that steel and glass balconies were added to allow Great War patients to enjoy the view of the River Severn.
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By the time of the Second World War, an operating theatre suite had been constructed on the roof.
Eventually, it’s life as a working hospital was over, it having been superseded by more modern facilities (the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital).
And I think we should be extremely thankful that the building was not only saved, but given a completely new lease of life.
Elegant and impressive, it is yet another piece of the jigsaw - the jigsaw that fits together to tell the history of our beautiful town.
Pop along there next time you’re in town - stop and have a coffee, wander round the shops, and savour the architecture and the history!
