A TRIBUTARY OF THE SEVERN 85 



signature, "John Bradbury." Sir John, who 

 subsequently was appointed Principal Reparations 

 Commissioner for the British Government, was 

 himself born at Winsford in Cheshire. 



Market Drayton inspires loyalty in its sons. 

 A famous journalist, who in his earlier days had 

 visited Market Drayton on an important occasion, 

 in some reminiscences written years after from 

 London, either described it as a little town, or 

 referred to a village street, I forget which. Market 

 Drayton's population in those days was roughly 

 between two and three thousand, though now it 

 is considerably more. My father, who had the 

 greatest love for and pride in the old Shropshire 

 town, was indignant that it should have been so 

 belittled. It was " a town " ; aye, the best, the 

 only, town in all the world to him, though he had 

 been overseas. This pride of birthplace or scene 

 of settlement is at the root of national pride, and 

 one likes to see it. I was reminded of my father's 

 attitude by that of the worthy landlord of a fish- 

 ing hotel in another town, containing about two 

 thousand people, a delightful spot, but not what 

 you might call " rapid." He had motored me to an 

 adjoining town of about three times its size. When 

 we were coming away from it, I remarked its wide 

 street and substantial shops and said : " Quite a 

 big town, this." "Yes," he admitted, adding con- 

 fidentially, " but I should not like to live here ; 

 it's too slow ; very slow ! " 



The Tern from Market Drayton elbows its 

 way near the foot of Salisbury Hill, where 



