Shrewsbury bench unveiled in memory of Graham Galliers

Graham, who had only recently retired as chairman of Galliers Homes before he suffered a heart attack in October last year, was first and foremost a ‘Shrewsbury lad’, whose passions were the river and his vintage sports cars, as well as being a big advocate of the town.

As well as having been chairman of the Chamber on several occasions, Graham also chaired the Shrewsbury & Shropshire Waterways & Leisure Group and Shrewsbury Public Art Partnership Committee, and was an organiser of the annual Shrewsbury River Festival, which attracted around 7,000 people last summer. In the latter capacity, he started a series of swimming lessons for youngsters so that they could use the river safely.

Chairman of the Shrewsbury River Festival, ex-mayor Tony Durnell, said: “Graham and I went way back, it was his idea to get the Festival to pay for swimming lessons so that youngsters could use the river safely – he discovered they couldn’t go canoeing on the river unless they could swim, and he was shocked that a great many couldn’t.”

“It’s really good to be able to come over and sit on Graham’s bench, next to the river he loved, and in a quiet moment reminisce about what he was, what he did for the town,” said Peter Bettis, President of Shrewsbury Business Chamber. “Graham was a Shrewsbury lad, he loved the river – and we all loved him for it.”

The bench was unveiled in the river garden near Quantum Leap last Thursday.