The inaugural Shrewsbury Steampunk Spectacular is set to creak, click and whirr into action on the weekend of 24 and 25 March. Steampunk incorporates mechanical motifs and design into traditional Edwardian and Victorian design with a gothic twist. Organiser Katie Rink explains, “Imagine a world without electricity; a world powered solely by steam and steeped in the novels of Jules Verne and HG Wells… The steampunk community revels in this world, they love to create, invent and up-cycle in unimaginable ways!”
Highlights include a costume parade featuring steampunk aficionados in all their finery; Charles Darwin welcoming visitors to his former school; and steampunk librarians offering tours of Shrewsbury Library. Workshops will take place at St Mary’s Church, offering families the chance to make musical instruments from scrap metal. Dancers, magicians and musicians including Miss Sylvia Sceptre, the amazing Retro Clones, LM Cooke Music and David Brinkworth and the Pit and local entertainers Art Squad Anarchy will delight over the entire weekend, with some events ticketed – visit Eventbrite or see chantillygrey.co.uk for details.
A flamboyant market will ply its trade in St Mary’s Church from 10am to 4pm on both days and restaurants, wine bars, cafes and coffee shops will be bursting with corsets and bustles.
There will be walking tours covering the many intriguing Victorian aspects of Shrewsbury, and a chance to visit Coleham Pumping Station in all its steamy splendour.
