How a Derelict Coach House Sparked Twenty Years of Reading in Belle Vue

What connects a once-neglected building in the grounds of Coleham School and a thriving

book group now in its twentieth year? “The club grew out of a group of us who lived in Belle Vue and had children at the school” says Diana Walton, founder member of the Belle Vue Book Group. “I was a governor there at the time. Partly, we just wanted to talk about books – but also, we wanted to support the restoration of a near-derelict Victorian coach house in the school grounds. The school was very keen to find community groups that would use it. So we thought 'OK, why don't we form a book group and then we can use the coach house!' In the end, we met there only a few times. But at least we were a community group that said we wanted to use it, so we did help to get things going.”

For Belle Vue Arts Festival 2025, the club threw open its doors to anyone who wanted to come along and discuss Samantha Harvey's Booker Prize-winning novel Orbital. This year, they're doing the same; but in keeping with 2026's 'fantasy' theme, the book they've chosen is Piranesi, Susanna Clarke's work of speculative literature and winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021.

So: is group excited by the fantasy remit? “Absolutely!” said Diana. “When we started looking at the genre, we realised how broad it is. You think of fantasy as magic, fantastical stories, myths and so on, but it's much more. One of the things we want to talk about is 'what is fantasy fiction?' Is it actually something many writers do, a way of writing about things that are not everyday, not immediately normal, immediately tangible?”

While Piranesi isn't without its challenges, the group believes it has wide appeal. “It's about a character who, it emerges, is called Piranesi” Diana explained. “You meet him living in this strange environment, clearly not of this world, which is a combination of natural and architectural structures, and is surrounded by water. He is very dependent on his understanding of the water and its influence on the world he's living in. He's alone, but he's worked out a way of surviving. The other thing” she continued “is that Piranesi himself is a really interesting and charming character. You become very connected with him.” And if you're still not convinced? “The book is written in quite a simple way. It's strange, but it's accessible, and it has elements of mystery and suspense. Also – it's short, so you're not committing to a long book. It's short but perfectly-formed.”

So what should readers expect from the Festival event? “There's no fee or registration” said Diana. “Simply come along to the Coleham Tap side room on Monday 8th June ready for a prompt 7pm start. You don't have to have read the book, but you'll enjoy the discussion better if you have. For the first half, about forty-five minutes, we'll talk specifically about Piranesi in a lightly-facilitated discussion exploring participants' reactions to the book and some of its themes. We'll aim for a lively debate where everyone has a chance to voice their views. After a short break, we'll talk more broadly about what fantasy fiction is, what it does, and other books people have read. If you've got a favourite fantasy book, bring it along and talk about it! The main thing you should bring though” she concluded “is a willingness to listen. People have very different reactions to books and it's important to respect that, which means listening, following on from what others are saying, no one person dominating, and keeping the focus on the book.”

And the coach house that started it all? “It's still there” said Diana. “The coachman’s living quarters are now a small museum, much used by the school, and sometimes it's open to the public on Shrewsbury Heritage days.”

If you would like to get involved in this discussion, it will be held in Coleham Tap on Monday 8 June at 7pm. Further details can be found here.

Coleham Primary School children get a Victorian experience in the refurbished Coach House.