City of Stoke-on-Trent
Victoria Hall, Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent shown within England and Staffordshire
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	West Midlands
Ceremonial county	Staffordshire
Admin HQ	Stoke-upon-Trent
Government
- Type	Unitary, City (1925)
- Mayor & Council Manager
- Council Leader	Mark Meredith (L)
- Council Control	(Labour)
- MPs	Mark Fisher (L) Robert Flello (L) Joan Whalley (L)
Population (2005 Estimates)
- Total	239,300
- Density	6,643. This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Stoke, or to give it its full name Stoke-upon-Trent is a component town of the city of City of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire Mark Joseph Meredith (born 21 August 1965, Pyenest Street Shelton in Stoke-on-Trent) is the directly-elected mayor of Stoke-on-Trent The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Mark Fisher (born October 29, 1944) is a British Politician. He has served as the Labour Member of Parliament The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Robert Charles Douglas Flello (born January 14, 1966) is a British Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Joan Whalley, OAM, (born 1927 was the artistic director of Twelfth Night Theatre in Bowen Hills, Brisbane Queensland, Australia The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 3/sq mi (2,565/km²)
- Ethnicity	93. 2% White 4. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye 1% S.Asian 1. British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka 4% Black 1. See also British African-Caribbean community, Caribbean British Black British is a term which has had different meanings and uses as a racial and political 1% Mixed Race
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST)	British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Website: www.stoke.gov.uk

Stoke-on-Trent (pronunciation (help·info); often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost twelve miles (19 km) long, with an area of 36 square miles (93 km²). Mixed Race was included as an ethnic classification on the UK Census from 2001. Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London Coordinated Universal Time, the basis for the world's civil time frequently referred to by the name of its predecessor Greenwich Mean Time Western Daylight saving time ( DST Western European Summer Time ( WEST) is a summer Daylight saving time scheme 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A conurbation is an Urban area or Agglomeration comprising a number of Cities, large Towns and larger urban areas that through Population Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke forms the The Potteries Urban Area. History The present town is originally a Roman settlement In the Middle Ages there was a large castle here owned by John of Gaunt, and a major medieval market The Potteries Urban Area is a Conurbation in North Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. This, together with the rural Staffordshire Moorlands area, forms North Staffordshire, which in 2001, had a population of 457,165. Education The Staffordshire Moorlands ranks highly at GCSE level compared to many other districts in Staffordshire. North Staffordshire describes an area of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England.

The city formed by the Federation of six originally separate towns and numerous villages in the early 20th century. The original settlement from which the federated town (not a City until 1925) took its name was Stoke-upon-Trent, because this was where the administration (and chief mainline railway station) was located. Stoke, or to give it its full name Stoke-upon-Trent is a component town of the city of City of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire After the union, Hanley emerged as the primary commercial centre in the city, despite the efforts of its rival, Burslem. The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county The three other component towns are Tunstall, Longton, and Fenton. Tunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Longton is a southern district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and is known locally as the "Neck End" of the city Fenton is one of the Six Towns of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation which were federated in 1910

Stoke-on-Trent is considered to be the home of the pottery industry in the United Kingdom and is commonly known as The Potteries. Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Formerly a primarily industrial conurbation, it is now a centre for service industries and distribution centres. Distribution (or place) is one of the four elements of Marketing mix. The city is a unitary authority with a directly elected mayor. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Directly elected mayors are local government leaders elected by the general electorate rather than by the local council

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Suburbs 2 History 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Administration 2.3 Industry 2.4 Religion 3 Governance 4 Demographics 5 Economy 6 Transport 7 Culture 7.1 Arts & literature 7.2 Music 7.3 Dialect 7.4 Food 7.5 Places of interest 7.6 Sport 8 Education 8.1 Higher education 9 Twin town 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

Geography

Stoke-on-Trent is situated approximately half-way between Manchester and Birmingham^[1] and the city adjoins the town and borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, which is administered separately and situated to the west. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um To the east is the Peak District National Park, which includes part of the Staffordshire Moorlands district, as well as parts of Derbyshire and West and South Yorkshire. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater

Stoke-on-Trent is often known as "the city of five towns", because of the name given to it by local novelist Arnold Bennett. Enoch Arnold Bennett ( 27 May 1867 - 27 March 1931) was an English Novelist. In his novels, Bennett used mostly recognisable aliases for five of the six towns (although he called Stoke "Knype"). However, Bennett said that he believed "Five Towns" was more euphonious than "Six Towns", so he omitted Fenton (now sometimes referred to as "the forgotten town"). Fenton is one of the Six Towns of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation which were federated in 1910

A city like Stoke made up of multiple towns is known as a conurbation (although in this case the conurbation is bigger than Stoke itself, because the urban area of Stoke is now continuous with that of administratively-separate Newcastle).

The six towns run in a rough line from north to south along the A500 road - Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton. D road can also apply as a road designation under the Great Britain road numbering scheme The A500 is a major primary A road Although the city is named after the original town of Stoke, and the City Council offices are located there, the city centre is usually regarded as being in Hanley, which had earlier developed into a major commercial centre.

Suburbs

As well as the Six Towns, there are numerous suburbs including Abbey Hulton, Blurton, Bentilee, Birches Head, Bucknall, Cliffe Vale, Etruria, Hartshill, Meir, Meir Park, Meir Hay, Middleport, Milton, Penkhull, Shelton, Smallthorne, Sneyd Green, Trentham and Trent Vale. Abbey Hulton is a village in Staffordshire, England. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086-7 as Heltone, in Pirehill Bentilee is a Suburb and Housing estate in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire situated between Hanley and Longton, and parallel with Birches Head is an area within Stoke-on-Trent. It lies on the edge of the town of Hanley. Bucknall is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent in the county of Staffordshire. Cliffe Vale is a district of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and lies to the immediate south of Etruria and just west of Basford and Hartshill Etruria is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, England. Hartshill is a township within Stoke-upon-Trent in the city of Stoke-on-Trent in the English county of Staffordshire. Meir is a Suburb in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire situated between Lightwood and Longton. Middleport is a residential and industrial district of the town of Burslem in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, England. Milton is located in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England. It is mainly situated between the A5009 and A53 roads It shares its borders Penkhull is a township within Stoke-upon-Trent in the city of Stoke-on-Trent in the English county of Staffordshire. Shelton is a Suburb in the City of Stoke-on-Trent in the English county of Staffordshire. Smallthorne (population 4161 - 2001 Census is an area in the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. Sneyd Green (population 7220 - 2001 Census is an area in the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. Trentham is a Suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, located to the south-west of the city centre and to the south of the neighbouring town of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

History

Etymology

The name Stoke is taken from the town of Stoke-upon-Trent, the original ancient parish, with other settlements being chapelries. Stoke, or to give it its full name Stoke-upon-Trent is a component town of the city of City of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. A Chapelry was a subdivision of an Ecclesiastical parish in England, and certain areas of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th Century 'Stoke' derives from the Old English stoc, a word that at first meant little more than a 'place', but which subsequently gained more specific – but divergent – connotations. These variant meanings included 'dairy farm', 'secondary or dependent place or farm', 'summer pasture', 'crossing place', 'meeting place' and 'place of worship'. It is not known which of these was intended here, and all are feasible. The most frequently suggested interpretations derive from a crossing point on the Roman road that ran from present-day Derby to Chesterton or the early presence of a church, said to have been founded in 670. Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. Chesterton is a small former Mining Village, located in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Minster'''is the town centre and civic church in Stoke-upon-Trent in England. Because 'Stoke' was such a common name for a settlement, some kind of distinguishing affix was usually added later, in this case the name of the river. An affix is a Morpheme that is attached to a stem to form a word The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor.

The motto of Stoke-on-Trent is Vis Unita Fortior which can be translated as: United Strength is Stronger, or Strength United is the More Powerful or A United Force is Stronger.

Administration

An early proposal for a federation took place in 1888, when an amendment was raised to the Local Government Bill which would have made the six towns districts within a county of 'Staffordshire Potteries'. The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict c 41 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1888 and established County councils and County borough It was not until April 1, 1910 that the Six Towns were brought together. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The county borough of Hanley, the municipal boroughs of Burslem, Longton, and Stoke, together with the urban districts of Tunstall and Fenton now formed a single county borough of Stoke-on-Trent. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county Longton is a southern district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and is known locally as the "Neck End" of the city Stoke, or to give it its full name Stoke-upon-Trent is a component town of the city of City of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire Tunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Fenton is one of the Six Towns of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation which were federated in 1910 ^[2] The combined borough took the name of town of Stoke. Stoke, or to give it its full name Stoke-upon-Trent is a component town of the city of City of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire

The borough proposed in 1919 to expand further and annex the neighbouring borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Wolstanton United Urban District, both to the west of Stoke: this met strong objections from Newcastle's Corporation and never took place. ^[3] A further attempt was made in 1930, with the promotion of the Stoke-on-Trent Extension Bill. ^[4] Ultimately, Wolstanton was added to Newcastle-under-Lyme instead in 1932. Although attempts to take Newcastle, Wolstanton and Kidsgrove (north of Tunstall) were never successful, the borough did however expand in 1922, taking in Smallthorne Urban District, and parts of other parishes from Stoke upon Trent Rural District. Kidsgrove is a Town in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, near the border with Cheshire Smallthorne Urban District was an Urban district in Staffordshire. Stoke upon Trent Rural District was a Rural district in Staffordshire. The borough was officially granted city status in 1925 with a Lord Mayor from 1928. The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city with special recognition

The city's county borough status was abolished in 1974, and it became a non-metropolitan district of Staffordshire. Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Its status was restored as a unitary authority with the local authority as Stoke-on-Trent City Council whilst remaining part of the ceremonial county of Staffordshire on April 1, 1997. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar

Industry

Since the 17th century the area has been almost exclusively known for its industrial-scale pottery manufacturing, with such world renowned names as Royal Doulton, Dudson Ltd, Spode (founded by Josiah Spode), Wedgwood and Minton (founded by Thomas Minton) being born and based there. Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware The Royal Doulton Company was one of the most renowned English companies producing Tableware and Collectables, with a history dating back to 1815 Spode is an English manufacturer of Pottery and Porcelain, based in Stoke-on-Trent. Josiah Spode ( 23 March 1733 – 1797 was an English potter born in a village that is now part of Stoke-on-Trent. Wedgwood, strictly Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a British Pottery firm originally founded in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood, which in 1987 Mintons Ltd, was a major ceramics manufacturing company originated with Thomas Minton (1765-1836 the founder of "Thomas Minton and Sons" who established Thomas Minton (1765 – 1836 was an English potter. He founded Thomas Minton & Sons in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, which The presence locally of abundant supplies of coal and of suitable clay for earthenware production led to the early but at first limited development of the local pottery industry. The construction of the Trent and Mersey Canal enabled the import of china clay from Cornwall together with other materials and facilitated the production of creamware and bone china. The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 935 miles (150 km long Canal in the East Midlands West Midlands and North West of England Kaolinite is a Clay mineral with the chemical composition Al 2 Si 2 O 5( OH)4 Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Creamware is a cream-coloured Earthenware created about 1750 by the potters of Staffordshire, England, which proved ideal for domestic ware Bone china is a type of Porcelain body first developed in Britain in which calcined Cattle bone ( Bone ash) is a major constituent

However, many other production centres elsewhere in Britain, Europe and worldwide had a considerable lead in the production of high quality wares. It was largely the methodical and highly detailed research and a willingness to experiment carried out over many years, initially by one man, Josiah Wedgwood, and later by other local potters, scientists and engineers, together with the development of artistic talent throughout the local community, that raised the profile of Staffordshire Potteries Also of note is Thomas Whieldon. Josiah Wedgwood ( July 12, 1730 - January 3, 1795, born Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent) was an English potter credited The Staffordshire Potteries is a generic term for the industrial area encompassing the six towns ( Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Thomas Whieldon (born September 1719 in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent - died March 1795) was one of the most respected and well known English With the industry also came a large number of notable ceramic artists including Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper, Lorna Bailey, Charlotte Rhead, Frederick Hurten Rhead and Jabez Vodrey. Clarice Cliff ( January 20, 1899 - October 23, 1972) was an English ceramic industrial artist active from 1922 to 1940 Susie Cooper ( October 29, 1902 – July 28, 1995) was a prolific English ceramic designer working in the Stoke-on-Trent Lorna Bailey (born February 10, 1978) is an English designer and manufacturer of Collectible hand painted decorative Earthenware Charlotte Rhead ( 19 October 1885, Burslem  &ndash 6 November 1947) was an English ceramics designer active Frederick Hurten Rhead (1880-1942 was a potter who was born in England but worked in the USA for most of his career Jabez Vodrey (1794-1861 was the first English potter west of the Appalachian Mountains.

North Staffordshire was a centre for coal mining. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. The first reports of coal mining in the area come from the 13th Century. ^[5] Part of the North Staffordshire Coal Field, the Potteries Coal Field covers 100 square miles (300 km²)^[6] and the city had several pits including Hanley Deep Pit, Trentham Superpit (formerly Hem Heath), Fenton and Wolstanton^[7] The last mine to close was the Trentham Superpit in 1994. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. ^[8] The industry developed greatly with new investment in mining projects within the City boundaries as recently as the 1960s and 1970s.

Other industries have also occupied important roles in the development of the city both before and after federation. Notably the iron and steel making industry located in the valley at Goldendale and Shelton below the hill towns of Tunstall, Burslem and Hanley. Shelton Steel Works production of steel ended in 1978 and the final parts of the plant closed in 2002^[9] From 1864 to 1927 Stoke housed the repair shops of the North Staffordshire Railway^[10] and was also the home from 1881 to 1930 of independent railway locomotive manufacturers Kerr Stuart & Co. Ltd.. Stoke railway works was set up in 1864 by the North Staffordshire Railway in the town of Stoke-on-Trent in the county of Staffordshire, England The North Staffordshire Railway was a British Railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries Kerr Stuart & Co Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England. ^[11]

Shelton Steel Works as well as the mining operations were heavily involved in the World War II industrial effort. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Central to the RAF's success was the Supermarine Spitfire designed by Reginald Mitchell who, whilst born in nearby Butt-Lane, had his apprenticeship at Kerr Stuart & Co. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Reginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, FRAeS, ( May 20, 1895 - June 11, 1937) was an aeronautical engineer, best known Apprenticeship is a system of Training a new generation of practitioners of a skill Ltd's railway works. ^[12]

Religion

Primitive Methodism was founded by Hugh Bourne a native of Stoke. Primitive Methodism was a major movement in English Methodism from about 1810 until the Methodist Union in 1932. Hugh Bourne (1772&ndash1852 was the joint founder of Primitive Methodism, the largest offshoot of Wesleyan Methodism and in the mid nineteenth century an influential Protestant He originally followed the Wesleyan form of Methodism but in 1801 he reformed the Methodist service by conducting it outside. John Wesley (ˈwɛslɪ ( – March 2, 1791) was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian who was the founder of the (Evangelical Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations By 1811 with his brother he founded the first chapel in Tunstall. A chapel is a holy place or area of Worship for Christians, which may be attached to an institution such as a large church, a College, a ^[13] He promoted Sunday Schools as a method of improving children's education as well as treating women as equals. " Sunday school " is the generic name for many different types of Religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations CHILD syndrome (or congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) is a genetic disorder Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency He also was involved in the temperance movement. See also Prohibition, Teetotalism The Temperance Movement attempted to reduce the amount of Alcohol consumed within a community or society in It was from the Primitive Methodists that many early Trades Unions found their early leaders. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming ^[14] Also of note is John Lightfoot a 17th century churchman and rabbinical scholar. John Lightfoot ( March 29, 1602 – December 6, 1675) was an English churchman rabbinical scholar Vice-Chancellor of the University

Governance

The city is the only one of the twelve English districts with elected mayors to use the mayor and council manager system rather than the mayor and cabinet system. ^[15] Following a local referendum, passing the motion 28,601 votes to 20,578 (turnout of 27. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita 8%), on May 3, 2002 a directly elected mayor system was approved. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[16] Mike Wolfe an independent candidate became the first directly elected mayor after an election on October 17, 2002 an independent, who narrowly beat Labour Party candidate George Stevenson by just 300 votes. Mike Wolfe was the elected mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, England, from 2002 until coming fourth out of eight in his bid for re-election in May 2005 where a record 9600 Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the George William Stevenson (born 30 August 1938) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. ^[17] The current Mayor from May 5, 2005 to date is Mark Meredith (Labour Party). Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mark Joseph Meredith (born 21 August 1965, Pyenest Street Shelton in Stoke-on-Trent) is the directly-elected mayor of Stoke-on-Trent ^[18] The 2005 election was notable because approximately 10% of the ballot papers were either spoiled or ineligible. ^[19] Meredith's election platform included a pledge to have another referendum on the post of elected mayor. ^[20] This is scheduled for May 2007.

The city is covered by three House of Commons constituencies. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty They are Stoke-on-Trent North, Stoke-on-Trent Central and Stoke-on-Trent South. Stoke-on-Trent North is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Stoke-on-Trent Central is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Stoke-on-Trent South is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ^[21] All three have returned Labour MPs without interruption since their creation in 1950. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The city is within the West Midlands European Parliament constituency. West Midlands is a Constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 7 MEPs using the D'Hondt method of Party-list proportional The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU

Two current politicians from Stoke are David Sumberg MEP for North West England and David Kidney MP for nearby Stafford. David Anthony Gerald Sumberg (born June 2, 1941 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) is a British politician and Member of the A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. North West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. David Neil Kidney (born 21 March 1955 Meir, Stoke-on-Trent) is a Labour politician in the United Kingdom. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Stafford is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

In July 2007, the nation-wide public smoking ban in England failed to come into effect in Stoke-On-Trent because of an apparent "bureaucratic blunder". This is a list of Smoking bans by country A 2006 smoking ban in Buenos Aires city prohibits smoking in public areas including bars and restaurants England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[22] As Stoke-On-Trent has both a Council Manager and a Mayor, the enforcement of the ban must undergo a formal approval by both. ^[22]

Demographics

Based on the 2001 census, the total population of the city is 240,636 in 103,196 households^[23] This was a decline of 3. 5% since 1991. ^[24] 51. 3% of the population is female. ^[25] 96. 3% of the population of Stoke-on-Trent were born in the UK. ^[26] 94. 8% of the population identified themselves as white, 2. 6% as Asian British Pakistani, 0. 5% Asian British Indian and 0. 3% as Black Afro Caribbean. ^[26] With religion, 71. 8% described themselves as Christian, 3. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth 0% Muslim, 1. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion 1% Hindu, 0. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical 6% Sikh, 0. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. 5% Jewish and 14. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ 8% had no religion. ^[26] In the same census, 19. 9% were identified as under 15 and 21. 0% over 60. The average age of residents was 38½. ^[25] A total of 24. 2% of non-pensioner households were recorded as having no working adults. ^[27]

Economy

North Staffordshire is a world centre for fine ceramics - a skilled design trade established in the area since at least the 12th century. The Staffordshire Potteries is a generic term for the industrial area encompassing the six towns ( Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke,

In the late 1980s & 1990s Stoke-on-Trent was hit hard by the general decline in the British manufacturing sector. Numerous factories, steelworks, mines, and potteries were closed, including the renowned Shelton Bar steelworks. Shelton Bar was a 400 Acre (16 km² major Steelworks in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, England. This resulted in a sharp rise in unemployment in the 'high-skilled but low-paid' workforce. However, at Q2 2004 the unemployment rate had recovered to almost the same as in the wider West Midlands. The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The city's present employment levels are currently stable and likely to grow from 2004 to 2008, according to a detailed 2003 study by Experian Business Strategies. About 9,000 firms are based in the city. Amongst the more notable are Bet365,^[28] founded by local businessman and Stoke City chairman Peter Coates,^[29] and Phones4U a large retailer of mobile phones started by John Caudwell. bet365 Group Limited, is a British based gaming company One of the UK's largest betting companies it used to operate 59 licensed betting offices in the county employ Peter Coates is a businessman from Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire who made his money in Catering (Stadia and Lindley Catering and John Caudwell (born 1953 is an English Billionaire who has made most of his money in the Mobile phone business ^[30]

KPMG's 'Competitive Alternatives 2004' report declared Stoke-on-Trent to be the most cost-effective place to set up a new UK business. ^[31] The city currently has the advantage of offering very affordable business property - while being surrounded by a belt of extremely affluent areas (The Peak District, Stone, South Cheshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme) and having excellent road links via the A500 and nearby M6 and rail links. D road can also apply as a road designation under the Great Britain road numbering scheme The A500 is a major primary A road This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway

According the HM Land Registry, the annual increase in house prices over the third quarter of 2005 was 8. Land Registry (officially known under the Land Registration Act 2002 as Her Majesty's Land Registry) is a British Governmental organisation created 0%, down form 13. 5% in the previous quarter. House prices were the 4th lowest in England and Wales. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception ^[32]

Around five million tourists visit Stoke each year, directly supporting around 4,400 jobs. Stoke-on-Trent shows its popularity through the number of repeat visits; around 80 percent of visitors have previously visited. Tourism to the city was kick-started by the National Garden Festival in 1986, and is now sustained by the many pottery factory-shops/tours and by the improved canal network. The Stoke-on-Trent National Garden Festival was the second of Britain's National Garden Festivals It was held in the city from 1 May

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Stoke-on-Trent at current basic prices with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. ^[33]

Year	Regional Gross Value Added[34]	Agriculture[35]	Industry[36]	Services[37]
1995	2,577	2	1,212	1,364
2000	2,833	1	1,107	1,725
2003	3,238	1	1,199	2,038

The main shopping centre is Hanley; location of the Potteries Shopping Centre (housing many well known national retail outlets), many well-known high street shops and some unique specialist retailers. The Potteries Shopping Centre has recently opened high quality coffee shops including Starbucks and Costa coffee. And with the Peak District National Park just ten miles (16 km) away, Hanley naturally boasts five outdoors clothing & equipment shops. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater

Other notable business people from the city includes Reginald H. Jones (Chairman of General Electric) and John Madejski chairman of Reading F.C. and former owner of Auto Trader. Reginald H Jones ( 11 July 1917 - was the chairman and CEO of General Electric from 1972 to 1981 John Robert Madejski OBE DL (born Robert John Hurst on April 28 1941 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English businessman Reading Football Club are an Association football club based in the English town of Reading, in Berkshire. Auto Trader is an automotive sales website and classified magazine located in many countries and is owned by the Trader Media Group. ^[38]

Transport

Stoke-on-Trent is linked to the nearby M6 motorway at junctions 15 and 16 by the A500. This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway D road can also apply as a road designation under the Great Britain road numbering scheme The A500 is a major primary A road Locally the A500 is known to as the D road^[39] (500 in Roman Numerals is D) as its loop between the two motorway junctions resembles a D. The A50 cuts through the city, providing an East-West link between the M6 and M1 motorways. The A50 is a major Trunk road in England. It runs from Warrington to Leicester; however it used to be a much longer route The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where Improvements to the road network have led to a number of companies building distribution centres in the area. ^[40]

Stoke-on-Trent railway station is a mainline station on the Stafford to Manchester Line, which is a part of the West Coast Main Line between Manchester and London, as well as the Crewe to Derby Line. Stoke-on-Trent railway station is a main-line railway station in central England. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Virgin Pendolino train 390029 is named after Stoke-on-Trent. Virgin Trains is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the North West Pendolino (from Italian Pendolo "Pendulum" and -ino, a diminutive suffix is an Italian family of Tilting trains used in Other stations in the city include Longport and Longton stations. Longport railway station is a station serving the areas of Longport, Middleport and Burslem, all districts in the northern part of Stoke-on-Trent Longton railway station is a railway station in the United Kingdom at Longton Stoke-on-Trent. Etruria station was closed in September 2005. Etruria station is a closed station in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, which served the areas of Etruria and the larger district of Newcastle Under

Local public transport is almost exclusively by bus. Bus services are mainly operated by Potteries Motor Traction, now owned by First Group under the name First PMT. First Potteries Limited (Also known as First PMT Ltd and Formerly Potteries Motor Traction) is a company based in Stoke-on-Trent that operates FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA There are also several smaller companies operating bus services in the city. There are central bus stations in Hanley city centre and Longton town centre. Longton is a southern district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and is known locally as the "Neck End" of the city National Express operate long distance coach services from Hanley bus station. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail

The city is served by the Trent & Mersey Canal, which sees traffic of some 10,000 boats a year. The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 935 miles (150 km long Canal in the East Midlands West Midlands and North West of England Additionally, the Caldon Canal branches off from the Trent and Mersey at Etruria, within the city boundaries, going to Froghall with one branch going to Leek. The Caldon Canal (or more properly the Caldon Branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal) opened in 1779 runs 18 miles from Etruria, in Stoke-on-Trent where Etruria is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, England. Froghall is a village situated approximately ten miles to the east of Stoke-on-Trent and two miles north of Cheadle in Staffordshire, England Leek is a Market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. Recently numerous improvements to the canal system have been made.

There are 100 miles (160 km) of new National Cycle Network off-road bicycle paths through the city, connecting the city to the national long-distance paths, completed in 2005. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.

Culture

Arts & literature

Nightlife has boomed in recent years, with Hanley becoming increasingly popular for its nightclubs, theatres, pubs, bars and restaurants. There are also several theatres outside the city centre.

Several nationally recognised TV presenters have been born in the area including Frank Bough who presented Nationwide & Breakfast Time, Anthea Turner from Blue Peter and Nick Hancock who chaired the comedy quiz show They Think It's All Over and was host on Room 101. Frank Bough (ˈbɒf (born 15 January 1933 is a British Television presenter who specialised in Sports programmes Nationwide was a BBC current affairs television series broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news Breakfast Time was British television 's first national Breakfast show, beating ITV 's TV-am to the air by two weeks Anthea Millicent Turner (born 25 May 1960 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English television 'personality' Blue Peter is a BBC Television programme for children It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the They think it's all over is a well known quotation popular in England. Room 101 is a place introduced in the Novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. ^[41] Bruno Brookes the former BBC Radio 1 disc jockey who hosted the station's breakfast show also presented Top of the Pops. Bruno Brookes (born Trevor Neil Brookes in Stoke-on-Trent, 24 April, 1959) is a British radio presenter who became famous in the 1980s A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Peter Wyngarde as Jason King in "Flamingoes only fly on Tuesdays" makes a quip about a "knicker salesman from Stoke-on-Trent". Peter Paul Wyngarde (born August 23 1933) is an Anglo-French actor best known for playing the character Jason King in two television series in the late Jason King was a UK Television series produced from 1971 to 1972. The cat in Dick and Dom in da Bungalow once sang a song about Stoke-on-Trent. ^[42]

Master illusionist Andrew Van Buren was born & still is based in the area, although is more often found performing out of the country. Andrew Van Buren is a British performer who specialises in magic large scale illusions juggling & plate spinning

Originally through the works of Arnold Bennett, described by some as the greatest realist writer of the 20th century,^[43] the 'Six Towns' were also sometimes known as the 'Five Towns'. Enoch Arnold Bennett ( 27 May 1867 - 27 March 1931) was an English Novelist. Realism was a general movement in the late nineteenth century that steered theatrical texts and performances toward greater fidelity to real life A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms ^[44] In his novels Bennett wrote about local events in the 19th century^[45] consistently changed all proper names and associations, thus Hanley became Hanbridge and Burslem became Bursley. ^[46][47][48] It is thought that Bennett chose to write about five towns, rather than six, because he refused to acknowledge Fenton as a proper town. The six towns weren't federated until 1910 but Fenton was still relatively new by that time, it was also the smallest in terms of population and area. As well as this Bennett changed the name of the towns' newspaper from the Sentinel to the Signal, an identity that was subsequently adopted by the city's commercial radio station. ^[49]

Other notable contributors to the world of literature includes Elijah Fenton (poet), Peter Whelan (playwright), John Wain (poet, critic and scholar), Pauline Stainer (poet), Charles Tomlinson (poet, graphic artist, translator, editor and critic). Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Elijah Fenton (1683–1730 was a Poet, biographer and translator Peter Whelan (born 1931 is a British Playwright. Whelan was born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, England. John Wain (baptised John Barrington Wain, March 14, 1925 – May 24, 1994) was an English poet, Novelist Pauline Stainer is an acclaimed English poet She was born in the Industrial district of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in 1941. Alfred Charles Tomlinson, CBE (born 8 January 1927) is a major British poet and translator and also an academic and artist Stoke is also the birthplace of many artists including Arthur Berry (also a novelist, playwright & poet), Arnold Machin (sculptor, coin & stamp designer) and Sidney Tushingham, A. Arthur Berry was an English Playwright, Poet, teacher and Artist, born in Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent on February Arnold Machin OBE RA( 30 September 1911 – 9 March 1999) was a British artist sculptor coin and stamp designer Sidney Tushingham (1884-1968 was a painter and Etcher who specialised in rustic scenes of villages and small town life R. E.

The city's main daily newspaper is The Sentinel, based in Etruria. The Sentinel is a local newspaper based in Stoke-on-Trent It is currently owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust under the Northcliffe Media publishing group Etruria is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, England. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Stoke, the commercial Signal 1 and Signal 2 and Cross Rhythms City Radio (Community Radio). Signal One is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting from studios in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent to Staffordshire and Cheshire Signal 2 is a British Independent Local Radio station The station is owned by UTV Radio and runs a "gold format" (recent oldies playlist Cross Rhythms City Radio is a UK community radio station broadcasting to Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. Community radio is a type of Radio service that caters to the interests of a certain area broadcasting material that is popular to a local audience but is overlooked by more Television news is covered by Birmingham-based BBC Midlands Today, Manchester-based BBC North West Tonight, ITV Central and ITV . Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Midlands Today is the BBC 's regional Television News programme for the West Midlands region, which comprises the West Midlands BBC North West Tonight is the News programme for the BBC North West English region. Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central and now legally ITV Central Ltd, is the British Independent Television contractor Granada Television is the United Kingdom ITV contractor for North West England. A website featuring news stories about Stoke-on-Trent City Council was launched in 2008 called SmokeonTrent.

Stoke has been the birthplace of many actors, including Hugh Dancy who has been in Black Hawk Down,^[50] Freddie Jones, Alan Lake (widower of Diana Dors), Adrian Rawlins, Hanley Stafford (American radio actor, born Alfred John Austin in Hanley), Jonathan Wilkes^[51] and Neil Morrissey, star of Men Behaving Badly. Hugh Dancy (born June 19 1975) is an English Actor. Biography Early life Dancy was born in Stoke-on-Trent Black Hawk Down is a 2001 Academy Award -winning War film directed by Ridley Scott, based on the book Black Hawk Down a Freddie Jones (born 12 September 1927) is an English Character actor. Alan Lake (24 November 1940 - 10 October 1984 was a British actor Diana Dors ( October 23, 1931 &ndash May 4, 1984) was an English actress and Sex symbol. Adrian Rawlins (born 27 March 1958 is a British Actor. Rawlins was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of Mavis ( née Leese and Edward Rawlins Hanley Stafford (born Alfred John Austin 22 September 1899 in Hanley, England, United Kingdom; died 9 September Jonathan Wilkes (born August 1, 1978 in Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent) is an English Television presenter, actor Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July, 1962 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English Actor. Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy --created and written by Simon Nye--that follows the lives of beer-guzzling flatmates Gary Strang and Tony Smart ^[52]

Music

Stoke has a vibrant music scene. Local nightclub the Golden Torch became the centre of the Northern soul scene in the early 70s. The Golden Torch, more commonly known as The Torch was a mod Nightclub in Stoke upon Trent, England. Northern soul is a type of mid-tempo and uptempo heavy-beat Soul music (of mainly African American origin that was popularized in Northern England from ^[53] Shelley's Laserdome nightclub in Longton played a pivotal role in the house and rave scene of the late 80s and early 90s too, helping to launch the career of Sasha and featuring regular appearances from Carl Cox, until it was eventually shut down by Staffordshire Police. Shelley's Laserdome was a night club in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Sasha (born Alexander Coe on 4 September 1969 is a Welsh DJ and record producer Carl Cox (born July 29, 1962 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is an international techno and house Staffordshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands of ^[54] Stoke also held the brief title (possibly invented by the media) of 'Techno City' in the early 90s, through the work of acts such as Altern 8 and Bizarre Inc. Hanley nightclub 'the Void' developed a sister relationship with Sankey's Soap in Manchester, helping the latter to revive its fortunes during the late 90s through the promotion of club night 'Golden'. ^[55]

Robbie Williams is perhaps the most famous pop star to hail from the city. Robert Peter Maximilian Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer Many of his songs refer to Stoke-on-Trent, either directly or indirectly. These include "It's Only Us" and "Burslem Normals" as well as the spoken introduction to his duet with Jonathan Wilkes of the song "Me and My Shadow", while the song "Angels" was partly inspired by the gold angel at Burslem Town Hall. Jonathan Wilkes (born August 1, 1978 in Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent) is an English Television presenter, actor ^[56] Slash was born in Hampstead, but grew up in Stoke from an early age. Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965 more widely known by his stage name Slash, is an English - African American Guitarist best known as the former Hampstead is an area of London, England, located north-west of Charing Cross. ^[57][58] Other notable individuals and groups from the area include Andy Moor who is a Dj and Producer, Havergal Brian who composed 32 symphonies and five operas,^[59] Gertie Gitana (music hall star and singer), Lemmy, the founder of the rock band Motörhead,^[60][61][62] Patricia Leonard (singer/contralto),^[63] Jem Finer (Banjoist, The Pogues)^[64] and Broken Bones, Discharge (Punk Band). Andy Moor (born Andrew Beardmore on January 16, 1980 in Stoke on Trent, United Kingdom) is one of the world's most credited trance William (Havergal Brian ( January 29, 1876 &ndash November 28, 1972) was a British classical Composer. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Gertie Gitana ( December 27, 1887  &ndash January 1957 was a British Music hall entertainer Lemmy (born Ian Fraser Kilmister, December 24 1945) also known as Lemmy Kilmister, Ian Willis or Lemmy von Motörhead Patricia Leonard, (born c 1943 is an English opera singer best known for her performances in Mezzo-soprano and Contralto roles of the Savoy Operas This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Jeremy "Jem" Finer (born July 25, 1955) is an English musician and composer Discharge is a British Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tez" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright ^[65] Murdoc Niccals, a member of the fictional group Gorillaz with the role of bass guitarist is said, in his constructed biography, to have been born in Stoke-on-Trent. Murdoc Niccals (sometimes spelled Nichals or Nicalls) is a fictional musician member of the virtual band Gorillaz. Gorillaz is a Virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of alternative rock band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the Comic ^[66] Indie rocker Stephen Malkmus mentions Stoke-on-Trent in "Pink India", released on his self-titled solo album, singing that the song's protagonist, Mortimer, is a "rook" in The Great Game, who "came from Stoke-on-Trent. Stephen Joseph Malkmus (born May 30, 1966, Santa Monica California) is an Indie rock musician and a former member of the band Pavement Stephen Malkmus is the first record by the group Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. For the film see The Great Game (film The Great Game was a term used for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire "

In October 2007, Stoke-on-Trent City Council introduced a new theme tune - Moving Forwards Together. Although described by the council as 'part of our drive to help us move the city forward and create a better Stoke-on-Trent for people to live, learn, work and enjoy' it was widely received as a wholly patronising, dispiriting piece of non-music. ^[67]

Dialect

The Potteries has a distinctive local dialect. It is believed to descend from Anglo-Saxon (Old English). Whilst it contains many unique words (for example "Nesh” meaning soft, tender, or to easily get cold,^[68] and “Slat” meaning to throw^[68]), the best known word is "duck" used as a greeting to either men or women. It is believed to be derived from the Saxon word ‘ducas’ used to indicate respect, which in Middle English became "duc" or "duk" which denotes a leader, which in turn, became the title Duke and the Old French word ducheé which indicates the territory ruled by a Duke. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium . ^[68]

A local cartoon called May un Mar Lady, published in the The Sentinel newspaper, written in Potteries dialect, first appeared on July 8, 1986 and ran for over 20 years. The word cartoon has various meanings based on several very different forms of Visual art and Illustration. May un Mar lady is a cartoon strip written in Potteries dialect, which first appeared on July 8, 1986 in the North Staffordshire The The Sentinel is a local newspaper based in Stoke-on-Trent It is currently owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust under the Northcliffe Media publishing group The Potteries dialect is a dialect found in the northern West Midlands of England, particularly in and around Stoke-on-Trent. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) ^[69] Since the Cartoonist Dave Follows' death in 2003 the full twenty-year run (7,000) of May un Mar Lady strips are being republished in The Sentinel, as May un Mar Lady Revisited, keeping the dialect alive for another twenty years. Dave Follows born Stafford (1941 &ndash 17 October 2003) was a British Cartoonist.

Also, Alan Povey's Owd Grandad Piggott stories which have aired on BBC Radio Stoke for a number of years are recited in the Potteries dialect by the author. Owd Grandad Piggott is a fictional character created by author Alan Povey based on a real life person ^[70]

Food

Two local culinary specialities are the much loved Potteries Oatcake (very different from the Scottish version and traditionally made in corner-shop style oatcake bakeries), whose fame has yet to travel far outside Staffordshire and neighbouring Derbyshire and Cheshire, and are as popular as ever although no longer the cheap alternative to bread. An oatcake is a type of cracker or Pancake, made from Oatmeal, and sometimes Flour as well Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. Oatcakes can be eaten cold or hot with any sweet or savoury fillings. Lobby, a stew not unlike Lancashire Hotpot, is still made by local people. Lobby is a traditional dish of North Staffordshire. It was originally eaten by potters who were poor and didn't always have enough money for fresh ingredients Lancashire hotpot is a culinary dish consisting essentially of Meat, Onion and Potatoes left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat

Places of interest

The city's rich past can best be explored through visiting one of its many museums & galleries; such as the Etruria Industrial Museum, the Elizabethan Ford Green Hall, the world-class ceramics collection at the main Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Gladstone Pottery Museum (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage) and the newly opened Ceramica in Burslem. Romance and reality The Victorian era and the early twentieth century idealised the Elizabethan era Smallthorne (population 4161 - 2001 Census is an area in the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. The Gladstone Pottery Museum is a working museum of a medium sized Pottery, typical of those once common in the North Staffordshire area of England from the time of The European Route of Industrial Heritage ( ERIH) is a network of the most important Industrial Heritage sites in Europe Ceramica is a museum in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, which explores the history of the pottery industry in the area Burleigh in Middleport is the world's oldest working Victorian pottery. Burleigh Pottery is the current name of a Pottery ( Earthenware manufacturer in Middleport Staffordshire built next to the Trent and Mersey Canal There are ambitious plans to open the huge Chatterley Whitfield colliery as a Mining Museum, since it has been given Ancient Monument status, ranking it in importance with Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury Trentham Gardens is in the south of the city and a £100 million refurbishment was completed in 2005. Trentham Gardens are formal Italianate gardens and an English landscape park in Trentham Staffordshire on the southern fringes of the city of Stoke-on-Trent,

Although not in the city, Alton Towers theme park is one of the United Kingdom's best known attractions and is wrongly commonly associated with Stoke-on-Trent. Alton Towers is a Theme park and Resort located in the grounds of a former stately home in Staffordshire, England. Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Sport

Stoke-on-Trent is home to two professional football teams teams, Stoke City F.C. (the Potters), who play at the Britannia Stadium after a move from The Victoria Ground in 1997, and Port Vale F.C. (the Valiants) who play at Vale Park. Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The Britannia Stadium is a Football Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Port Vale Football Club are an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. Vale Park is the home of the English football club Port Vale. City will play in the Premier League in the 2008-9 season, while Vale will play in League 2. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of This is the first time Stoke have played in England's top division since 1985. The only major success for either of the professional teams was Stoke City's 1972 League Cup win. The 1972 Football League Cup Final took place on 4 March 1972 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Stoke City The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition

In Speedway, the Stoke Potters race in the Premier League whilst the Stoke Spitfires race in the BSPA Conference League. Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a Motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise For the football club see Stoke City FC The Stoke Potters are a British Speedway team currently competing in the The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board (SCB in conjunction with the The Stoke Spitfires were a British Speedway team competing in the Conference League. Speedway was staged at the greyhound stadium in Sun Street, Hanley intermitently between 1929 and 1939. In 1947 the Potters were part of the post war boom rising from Division Three of the National League to Division Two before closing in the the early 1950s. The Potters were revived in 1960 and they raced in the Provincial League until the end of 1963 when the stadium was closed and the site re-developed. Speedway was revived at Loomer Road in Newcastle-under-Lyme, initially as Chesterton, before it reverted to the Stoke name.

The ski race team based at the artificial ski slope in Festival Park compete in national Snowsport England and international FIS events. A ski is a long flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow fis is the E coli Gene encoding FIS Protein. The regulation of this gene is more Complex than most other

The city has a number of amateur sports clubs, including rugby union and cricket, the later competing in the North Staffs and South Cheshire Cricket League. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries The cricket ground in Longton is one of the grounds used by Staffordshire County Cricket Club

Stoke Spitfires was also the name of the city's American Football team. Staffordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic Cricket structure representing American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The team eventually folded in 1992 after a record of 35-34-1. In 1994 the Staffordshire Surge was formed and played their matches in and around Stoke-On-Trent. The Staffordshire Surge are an American football club based in Stoke-On-Trent, England. Currently the team play at Stoke Rugby Club in Division 1 North of the British American Football League. British American Football League (BAFL is the United Kingdom 's primary American Football league

Sir Stanley Matthews is perhaps the best known sports person from the city, who played for Stoke City and Blackpool F.C., where he played in what became known as the Matthews Final and managed Port Vale. Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE ( 1 February 1915 — February 23 2000) was an English football player Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 and located in the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. Match summary Matthews inspired his team to come from 3&ndash1 down against Bolton Wanderers to win 4&ndash3 and on a personal note he claimed the trophy that had eluded him He also made 54 appearances for his country, scoring 11 times. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football There are two statues of Matthews in the city; one in Hanley, and one at the Britannia Stadium.

Phil Taylor is one of the most successful darts players in the early 21st century and is a former PDC and BDO World Champion. Philip Douglas Taylor (born August 13 1960 is a 13 time world champion English darts player whose nickname is The Power. Darts refers to a variety of related games in which darts are thrown at a circular target (dartboard hung on a wall

Other notable sports people from the area include Mark Bright, a former FA Premier League footballer, Garth Crooks another top-flight footballer, both of whom now have media careers with the BBC. Mark Abraham Bright (born 6 June 1962 is a former English footballer who is now a sports pundit and BBC London 's sport presenter The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The following are lists of Association football ( soccer) players Garth Anthony Crooks OBE (born 10 March 1958 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) is a retired English football Ross Pointon (UFC Fighter), Andrew Foster (tennis), Adrian Lewis, Ted Hankey both darts players, the later a world champion, Dave Harold, Jamie Cope (both snooker) and Imran Sherwani (field hockey). Ross "The Gladiator" Pointon (born February 2, 1980) is an English Mixed martial arts competitor who holds a record of 6 wins 10 Andrew Foster (born March 16, 1972 in Stoke-on-Trent) is a former Tennis player from Great Britain, who hasn't won a single title Adrian Lewis (born 21 January 1985 in Stoke-on-Trent) is a Darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC Edward "Ted" Hankey (born 20 February, 1968 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) is an English Darts player David 'Dave' Harold (born December 9, 1966) is an English professional Snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Jamie Cope (born 12 September 1985, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England) is an English professional Imran Sherwani (born April 9, 1962 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) is a former English Field hockey player who Wicketkeeper Bob Taylor, who played for Derbyshire and England was born and still lives in the area. Cricket wicket keeperjpg|thumb|300px|A wicket-keeper in characteristic position ready to face a delivery Robert William ("Bob" Taylor (born July 17, 1941, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England) was a cricketer who played Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. He represented England 58 times and still holds the world record for the most number of dismissals in the first class game (1649).

In golf, Trenthams' David Lynn (born 1973) is the KLM Open Champion 2004. David has been a member of European Tour since 1996 and he has been in Top 30 of European Tour Order of Merit two times in last three seasons.

Education

Higher education

There are four higher education institutions in the local area. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges The city is home to Staffordshire University (formerly North Staffordshire Polytechnic), with its main site in Shelton near to Stoke-on-Trent railway station. Staffordshire University is a University with its main Campus based in the City of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford It gained its university status in 1992 as one of the post-1992 universities. In the United Kingdom, the term New University has various meanings regarding British universities. Keele University Medical School uses facilities at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Hartshill. Keele University Medical School is the medical school of Keele University, Staffordshire, England. The University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS is a major teaching & research hospital in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, England, near Keele University itself was founded as the University College of North Staffordshire in 1949 with major involvement by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Keele University is a research-intensive Campus university located near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Stoke-on-Trent College [1] is the largest college in England and has two sites: one in Burslem (media & performing arts) and the main centre in Shelton. Stoke-on-Trent College is a large provider of further and higher education based in Stoke-on-Trent. Also situated in Fenton there is a Sixth Form Centre, which is a Music & Performing Arts college.

Twin town

• Erlangen, Germany. Erlangen is a Middle Franconian City in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ^[71]
• Limoges, France. Limoges ( Lemòtges / Limòtges in the Limousin dialect of Occitan language) is a city and commune in France, the préfecture This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

See also

• Category:People from Stoke-on-Trent for other people who were born or had a significant contribution to Stoke-on-Trent.

References

External links

• Stoke-on-Trent City Council
• Local information from SmokeonTrent electronic newspaper
• Local Information from The Sentinel newspaper
• Local Information from Local Edition newspaper
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service

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