One of our new members, Andrea Wollf-Macdonald just happened to be an English teacher at the Mary Webb school and was keen to share her passion for Mary Webb with her students. She quickly established a Mary Webb Society within the school and a small group of enthusiasts have started to meet weekly in the library to share readings and discuss the life and work of the woman after whom their school is named.

We were delighted to be invited to meet the group and hopefully inspire them to learn more and to encourage others to join them. Sue Hotchkiss and Liz Stamps represented the society bringing books, newsletters and a display which included a copy of the original sculptor’s maquette for the bronze bust, commissioned by the society and located in the gardens of Shrewsbury library.

We were bowled over by the energy and enthusiasm of these young people and it was heart-warming to see that the work of Mary Webb can still resonate with a new generation. Perhaps they can relate to her love of the natural world and the need to cherish it for the future. We will continue to work with the school to further strengthen this link. We are grateful to this inspiring teacher who has set the ball rolling. Well done Miss Mack!