Shrewsbury Shopping Centres has been announced as one of the major backers of this year’s landmark Shrewsbury Flower Show.

The partnership with the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres will see the Centres, which have more than 80 retailers, have an even larger presence on the show field than ever before.

This year’s show – on Friday and Saturday, August 8 and 9, will commemorate the 1914 ‘Show That Never Was’ – the event called off because of the outbreak of the First World War.

Once again it will boast an outstanding lineup of stars and attractions led by television pub grub guru Tom Kerridge, chef/patron at the two Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers pub in Marlow, on the River Thames.

Gardeners World presenter Pippa Greenwood will also bring her expertise to this year’s show in the Lecture Marquee while music will come from folk star Johnny Flynn and the Red Hot Chili Pipers.

Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres, said: “We’re delighted to support the Shrewsbury Flower Show once again and to have an enhanced presence on the field this year.

“We have a bigger marquee and we’re well positioned and have more tenants represented than ever before – this year’s we’re taking the centres to the show.

“The town hosts so many great events every year but the flower show is the flagship of them all and it has such a wonderful tradition spreading back over the years and thanks to the involvement of the great Percy Thrower.

“It’s a community event as well and so it’s important for the community to get behind it and that’s why we want to support it.

“The centres have big high street names but we also have a strong and vibrant independent presence made up of local businesses and we want to promote and represent that offer at the flower show.”

Nigel Pearson, Marketing Chairman for show organisers the Shropshire Horticultural Society, said: “It’s great to have the Shrewsbury Shopping Centres backing us again and helping us put on a truly memorable event.

“This year’s show is special because it will commemorate a show that never happened – everything was in place back in 1914 but then the assassination of the Austrian Archduke took place in Sarajevo and the First World War broke out within ten days of the show.

“We’re very grateful to the shopping centres because it’s crucial for the flower show to get support like this and if we can work together and help each other it will be beneficial for the town.”

This year’s event will feature stunning displays by top national nurseries and growers in the Quarry Marquee, home grown flowers and vegetables in the Severn Marquee and high quality lectures and demonstrations in the Lecture Marquee.

This year a new development is the Our Future Marquee which encourages young people and their parents to get into gardening and think environmentally.

The Shrewsbury Shopping Centres will also have their own marquee where retailers will have stalls to showcase and sell products and raise money for charities.

The Arena will have top quality Showjumping and Pony Club competitions, Field Gun and Dog Display teams and entertainment including fireworks each night, and there is also a Children’s Area with magic, stories and songs and a penalty shoot-out staged by Shrewsbury Football Club.

For more information on this year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show go to www.shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk and for more on events at the shopping centres go to www.shrewsburyshoppingcentres.co.uk