Shropshire Star

Mr Bloom stars at Shrewsbury Shopping Centre

A shopping centre was transformed into a theatre space, filled with hundreds of excited children.

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Mr Bloom entertains his fans

CBeebies Mr Bloom was the star guest at the Darwin Shopping Centre in Shrewsbury.

Actor Ben Faulks, who has starred on the TV show Mr Bloom’s Nursery since 2011, presented a series of 30 minute shows.

Mr Bloom was joined by his veggies – Margaret the cabbage, Joan the fennel, Colin the runner bean, Raymond the butternut squash, Sebastian the aubergine and the lovable radishes the Wee MacGregors.

Together, they helped children, known as ‘tiddlers’, learn about the core theme of nurture, in both gardening and child development, as well as facts about the environment.

Kevin Lockwood, Darwin and Pride Hill Shopping Centres’ manager, said he was delighted to welcome Mr Bloom to the Darwin centre.

“He is so popular with his young fans, and we were delighted that we had the opportunity to put on the free shows for families in Shropshire to enjoy," he said. "The shows have been very popular around the country at other events.

“In addition to the live performances, we were also running interactive workshops in the Pride Hill Shopping Centre. Children were able to come along and design their own plant pot and learn how to grow their own veggies, which should have made for a great family day out.”

There was also a vegetable trail across the Darwin and Pride Hill with prizes to be won for families that took part, and identified all of the veggies on the trail around the shopping centres.

The one-man show encompassed all the familiar songs, stories, games from the TV show.