Potteries and History.
Yvonne and Paul have lived in Stoke-on-Trent all their lives. Yvonne’s mother was Mayor of Stoke, whilst Paul’s family owned a pottery. We spent an afternoon with them, where they shared with us many books on the history of the area, showed us their impressive collection of pottery, and regaled us with fascinating stories about local history.
Can you tell us a bit more about pottery?
There are several different types of pottery. These include Earthenware, bone China and Porcelain. They are made from different stone (clay or porcelain). Earthenware is heavy, whilst China and Porcelain are much lighter. You can actually see through porcelain.
Wherever we visit in the world, people from Staffordshire will always turn over plates and crockery to see where it was made and we often find it was made in Staffordshire!
How can visitors see this history?
Although a lot of the potteries have now closed, there are several still open for visitors to see. World of Wedgwood, Moorcroft Heritage Visitor Centre, Gladstone Pottery Museum and Middleport Potteries each give the history of potteries. There are also some newer potteries with centres to visit, such as Emma Bridgewater (established 1984), you’ll find Emma Bridgewater pottery all over the world. It is very popular.
There were also a lot of coal mines in Stoke. They have long been closed, but there are places like Chatterley Whitfield, which is a country park that has a mining museum and steam train.
Hanley Museum also has a varied selection of interesting exhibits. The designer of the ‘Spitfire’ (R.J.Mitchell) was from Stoke, so there is a restored Spitfire on display in the museum. An Anglo-Saxon Hoard of Gold dating back to the 7th century is also on display after being found in Staffordshire!
Staffordshire also has some of the oldest canals in the UK. The canals were built in the 18th and 19th centuries as a mode of transport for materials - including pottery - during the industrial revolution. I’d suggest a walk along the canal on a sunny day to see these impressive human-made waterways!
Where else would you recommend people visit?
I love to visit Trentham Gardens. I meet friends there each week for a walk around the lake and a cup of tea in the cafe. The gardens are so beautiful and a relaxing place to spend an afternoon.
Can you give us a few local expressions?!
You will hear a lot of local expressions being used in Staffordshire, listening out for these few examples:
“Ay’up m’duck” - this is a common greeting, which is a way of saying ‘hello’!
“Cosna” - a short version of ‘can’t you?’
“Buz” - bus.