Seeking support can often feel stigmatising and may even put people off seeking the help they need. To combat this, Citizens Advice North Staffs (CAB) has chosen to locate its new Citizens Hub – a multi-purpose drop-in centre, internet café, and retail shop, with wellbeing services to follow – inside The Potteries Centre.

Set to open at the end of September next to TJ Hughes and the Hanley Post Office, it marks the first initiative of its kind in the UK. “Our thinking is that being seen in a shopping centre is not remotely stigmatising because, let’s face it, we all go shopping. It feels a bit less daunting,” explains Craig Browne, CEO at Citizens Advice North Staffordshire.

Other community organisations are set to offer support from the new hub too, including Dougie Mac and Staffordshire Police. The internet café, meanwhile, aims to encourage digital inclusion. “A lot of our clients either don’t have the digital skills or the equipment to do things online. So when someone comes in and needs help with benefits, for example, we print out pages and pages of PIP forms, fill them in by hand, pass them to the client to sign, then we send them off. We felt it would be much more empowering if they could show clients how to do it themselves.”

There is surging demand for these services across North Staffs. “Over the two-and- a-half years that I’ve been with the charity, the number of people we either speak to has increased from 21,000 to just over 33,000, almost a 50% increase. Our funding has also fallen by 10%, so we are doing half as much more with 10% less.”

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With services offered from the end of September, the Citizens Hub will feature three secure private interview rooms where people can access a face-to-face interview or video call, with a screen in each room so people can be supported remotely.

Next year, the plan is to redevelop the ground floor of the same unit, where CAB will host the Volunteer Centre of Excellence, which will provide training not only for its own volunteers but also other charities and community organisations, Browne confirms.

In addition, there will be a wellbeing space and flexible working area for CAB’s own staff and members of the public, he adds.

Out of the 230 CAB offices in the country, Browne says North Staffs is set to be the only one to offer such a comprehensive range of services under one roof.

“Where I’m hoping to go with this is that it becomes an exemplar for the rest of the network. I think it’s a way that we can take advice and support to people rather than them coming to us. Clearly, the more we do to collaborate with the rest of the community and voluntary sector in North Staffordshire, the better. But also I hope it becomes a financially sustainable model for the future, with the shop helping us to generate a bit of revenue to help support service delivery,” he says.

An “absolute explosion” in personal debt levels

In addition to benefits assessments, the new hub will have a specialist legal team who provide support for housing, asylum, immigration applications, and hate crime reporting. However, the largest area of growth remains what Browne describes as an “absolute explosion” in personal debt. Collective debt handled by the charity rose dramatically over a two-and-a-half-year window, driven by personal loans, the cost of living, council tax arrears, and gambling.

The level of collective debt that it’s been helping people with has risen from £30 million to £212 million, an increase of almost nine times in less than three years. Browne points out that the one growth area of the economy in Stoke is gaming and gambling. “I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I think their clients are also our clients.”

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, how’s it going? Welcome to The Knot’s weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire — a little something to brighten your Monday.

As Andy Burnham pledges to have every rough sleeper off the streets by Christmas, the council is now looking at alternative models that can provide more appropriate accommodation and enable better ongoing engagement with people sleeping rough, while also considering the impact on local communities and businesses.

The council will work with Swan Bank Church and Adullam, who ran the Burslem night shelter, alongside its own Rough Sleeper Team and partners including VAST, as it develops its future approach. The Rough Sleeper Team will also continue to work directly with people sleeping rough, offering support and helping them access accommodation and other services where appropriate.

Discussions will also continue with Swan Bank Church about how the existing night shelter could potentially be used for emergency provision during periods of extreme weather. If you’re concerned about someone sleeping rough, you can report it through StreetLink, or call the council on 0800 970 2304.

Have an ace week, and don’t miss Wednesday’s interview with the CEO of Citizen Advice North Staffs, Craig Browne, to get the low-down on its new Citizens Hub in the Potteries Centre, which will feature an internet cafe, wellbeing spaces and more.

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Good News 🎉

• 🏡 Stoke ramps up rough sleeping strategy. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is reviewing how it supports people sleeping rough as part of the Government’s new national drive to get everyone in for Christmas. The council is considering a range of options for future provision, including alternative locations and different models of accommodation and support. The review will also consider how services can be provided in appropriate locations, ensuring provision is well distributed across the city and suitable for both service users and local communities. This will build on the success of a recent pilot for a night shelter in Burslem, which is coming to an end this month.

🌍 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Major Levison Wood 🌍

Explorer Levison Wood, chancellor of the University of Staffordshire bestselling author and Channel 4 presenter known for Walking the Nile, Walking the Americas and Walking Arabia will be celebrating the completion of the uni’s Student Village this Friday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The £100 million development is set to provide 1,000 new and refurbished bedrooms in a mix of cluster blocks and townhouses. The opening follows the university being named Modern University of the Year 2027 in the Daily Mail University Guide.

• 🤘Petition launched to revive Heavy Metal Holocaust. In 1981, Vale Park hosted the Heavy Metal Holocaust, with Motörhead, Ozzy Ozbourne and Rush all on the bill. CIC Lemmy Forever is hoping to bring back a similar event over the May bank holiday in 2028. If you want to sign the petition, visit the website. PS: in other heavy metal news, Lemmy Aid, special Lemmy Lemonade is now available at Lemmy’s Lounge. Though we can’t imagine Lem actually drank much of it!

• 🏗️ New Gates for Stoke Town Hall. To help protect one of our most important historic buildings, new gates were installed at Stoke Town Hall this weekend. It’s hoped that the improvements will deter anti-social behaviour, enhance security and create a safer environment for everyone who uses the building. While the Town Hall portico is no longer the building’s main entrance, the doors continue to be used during civic events, weddings and other functions.

• 🏫 Packmoor’s Watermill School welcomes SEND students. A new multi-million-pound school complex will welcome up to 70 new pupils from the start of next week, with the new school places created as part of an £11.5 million project. The new facility has been constructed on Turnhurst Road in Packmoor, to provide better learning opportunities for SEND children. The complex has been built on the site of the former Middlehurst School, which closed in 2014.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. The Gandeys Spooktacular Trentham is back (23/10-01/11, 12pm-8pm) with a haunted big top that’s set to be super spine-chilling; tickets from £9.99 for circle and grandstand and £14.99 ringside.

  
  If you’ve always wondered what makes serial killers tick, get along to Murderous Minds with Emma Kenny (18/09; 7.30pm) at the Regent; tickets from £32.76. The Funhouse Comedy Club is back at the Rigger (23/09; doors open 7.30pm, show starts 8pm), where 12 acts compete in comedy’s answer to Britain’s Got Talent and the X-Factor; tickets £5.

  
  We’ve got more details on Stoke Book Festival (03/10-10/107.30pm-9.30pm, bar opens at 6pm), with authors Helena Attlee (03/10) and Jess Kidd (05/10) among those performing, along with local writer Dave Proudlove, who will launch his new book, Street Football: The Real Grassroots of the Beautiful Game at the event; ticket prices vary, with some events free. Continuing with the literary theme, celebrated punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke (23/10, 7.30pm), the first poet to headline an arena, Manchester’s Co-op Live, will play the Victoria Hall; tickets from £45.35.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

🛍️ Can our high streets be saved from vaping and betting? It’s already happening in Longton, thanks to the likes of Dimbleby Ceramics and many other indie businesses
🍺 There’s still time to have your say on Stoke’s Local Plan: The consultation ends at 11.59pm on 14 September and you can have your say here before the deadline passes
😅 Reform councillor resigns from wrong council: Yep, you read that right!

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):

Mon ☁️ 19° (11°) Tue 🌦️ 17° (11°) Wed 🌧️ 17° (9°) Thu 🌧️ 17° (9°) Fri 🌧️ 18° (11°)
Sat ☁️ 19° (10°) Sun ☁️ 19° (10°).

Sunrise 07/09: 06.28 ☀️ Sunset 07/09: 19.44 🌅

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As shopping patterns have evolved dramatically over the past decade or so, with more and more of us shopping online or at retail parks, our high streets have suffered. Independent book stores and the like have made way for vape shops, while many many premises have simply shuttered up, never to open again.

Andy Burnham has made the revival of Britain’s high streets one of his early priorities, giving councils greater ability to refuse new betting shops and adult gaming centres, while vape shops will no longer be permitted to open under the same broad planning category as ordinary shops.

The government is also working with the Planning Advisory Service to establish clearer expectations around high-street design, including shopfronts, signage, neon lighting and oversized logos. Councils and communities are expected to have more of a say over the mix of businesses on their high streets. A new High Streets Strategy, coming later this year, will be backed by £150 million of investment.

Dr Allison Gardner, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, told Parliament that Longton was “very much on the up”, describing a “real sense of momentum” and growing confidence and pride. She singled out Longton Exchange for supporting traders and attracting new businesses, and highlighted Kiln at Number 12, So Very Dog and Crumbs bakery as examples of businesses bringing fresh energy to the town centre, stating that “The high street is absolutely the heart of Longton.”.

Nevertheless, she sees that there are still problems to be addressed. She has also raised in Parliament the issue of there being too many vape shops on Longton High Street (five at the last count) and has campaigned for a banking hub following the closure of local bank branches.

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Longton continues to attract new businesses to the high street and surrounding area. This spring, a new independent barber shop Frequency Fade, with DJ decks and darts, opened on Market Street, as did pottery workshop Dimbleby Ceramics, next to sister business Kiln at Number 12. A new toy shop, SDPrime, opened last month inside Longton Exchange, while two established independents, Stitch in Time + Nail Attraction, moved into a larger shared unit at Longton Exchange in May 2026.

Inside the market, meanwhile, new diner Sugar Rush Social, arts supply shop Hustlers of Culture and True Grain DIY & Hardware have all opened in the last couple of months. And the former Wilco unit is soon to be replaced by discount department store Boyes.

With the aim of creating a “high-quality civic gateway”, the Times Square regeneration began in June 2026 as part of a £1.9m Longton Town Centre Improvement Scheme that will build a new civic plaza, update transport and road layout, including new red route traffic management controls, and wider footways and clearer pedestrian links to bridge the gap between Longton Railway Station, the local bus station, the high street, and the nearby Tesco retail park.

One of the businesses that is helping revive Longton’s futures is the aforementioned Dimbleby Ceramics, which not only sells ceramics but also offers pottery painting and wheel-throwing, with sister business Kiln at Number 12 serving coffee and cakes.

Co-owner and founder Mathew Dimbleby told The Knot that he sees our high streets as becoming not just for shopping, and that both his businesses are now ‘go-to’ destinations in Stoke-on-Trent but, more specifically, Longton. “Food, drink and other fun activities that can be shared with friends and family are activities that keep people in town centres for hours, as they visit several places and immerse themselves in the community and culture of the area. This is how destinations are created.”

This links into his next point: that we can often look back on the high streets of old through rose-tinted glasses. “We hear so many stories from our customers of the bustling shops and cafes in Longton in the previous century. This was mainly due to the thousands of women and men working in all the local pottery factories, plus hour-long lunch breaks! Sadly, with the closure of many large pottery firms and the demise of the long lunch, we will never be able to re-create this. So, modern high streets need to be completely re-thought out and we need to look to the future with hope rather than look back in a nostalgic fog of sadness.”

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, how are you? Welcome to The Knot’s weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire – here to brighten your Monday.

Stoke-on-Trent’s Local Plan has been established to guide development across the city through to 2040, with the policies and site allocations agreed now potentially influencing where new homes and other development take place, how land is managed, and what type of infrastructure is needed to support our communities.

It has met with huge anger in some parts of the city. The proposed BL1 site at Lightwood, which has an allocation for up to 3,000 homes on 113 hectares of Green Belt land, has been described by campaigners as effectively creating another sizeable settlement between Lightwood, Cocknage, Rough Close and Meir Heath.

Packmoor has also generated considerable opposition to up to 800 homes on council-owned farmland. Former Labour councillor Dave Mountford actually defected to the Potteries Party partly over the proposed development at Packmoor.

Elsewhere, BL5 at Eaves Lane in Bucknall, which is allocated for around 1,139 homes, has a petition against its inclusion with 1,515 signatures. And originally, two sites around Norton Green were earmarked for 3,097 homes combined, which been reduced to 520 homes. But residents are still unhappy, citing increased pressure on roads and services and the loss of greenfield land.

There is also opposition to BL2 at Trentham, which would provide around 500 homes on land next to Trentham Golf Club. Residents have particularly raised concerns about additional traffic on the A34/Stone Road.

This is the final stage of consultation, known as Regulation 19, before the Local Plan is submitted to an independent government inspector for examination.

The council is aiming to submit the Local Plan to the independent government inspector in December 2026. Once submitted, the inspector will consider whether the proposed Plan meets the required tests and is legally compliant.

Further information about the consultation, including details of how to make a formal representation, is available from Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Local Plan consultation page

Have a fab week, and don’t miss Wednesday’s feature on saving local high streets, which includes the lovely success story of Dimbleby Ceramics in Longton, which is attracting people from all over the world to its pottery workshops, plus insights from Keele University’s senior politics lecturer Dr Philip Catney.

PS: We’d love to grow The Knot and reach more people who enjoy positive local news and insightful journalism. If you know someone who’d like it too, we’d be so grateful if you could share this newsletter with a friend, family member or colleague. Thank you so much for your support!

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Good News 🎉

• 🏡 Have your say on the Local Plan. Hundreds of residents have already spoke to council officers at consultation events on Stoke-on-Trent’s proposed Local Plan. There are still opportunities this week if you want to understand what this proposed Local Plan means for you, your family, your community and the city as a whole. This includes Longton Library (01/09, 4pm-7pm) Tunstall Library (02/09, 4pm-7pm) and City Central Library (03/09, 4pm-7pm). There’s no need to book, just turn up and put your questions to the council. The Local Plan consultation ends at 11.59pm on 14 September and you can have your say here if you can’t make those dates.

🏃‍♀️THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Jazmin Sawyers 🏃‍♀️

After overcoming an Achilles injury, local athlete Jazmin Sawyers, who used to train at Northwood Stadium with the City of Stoke Athletics Club, has had a fantastic summer. She claimed gold in the women's long jump at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 1 August with a leap of 6.93 metres, followed by silver at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on 16 August with 6.99m, a personal best. Here’s Jazmin posing with her medals alongside her portrait on the city’s 100 Years, 100 Faces mural. Well done, Jazmin!

• 🚒 Sandyford firefighter discharged from hospital. A firefighter who worked to tackle the serious fire has been discharged from hospital after 13 days, including a week receiving treatment in critical care. He still has a journey of recovery ahead and will continue to be supported by the service. Meanwhile, recovery work is continuing in Sandyford to make sure the area is safe. Several families have now relocated from emergency accommodation into longer-term housing arrangements. You can donate to the Sandyford Fire Recovery Fund here.

• 👩‍🏫 Council moves to protect Falcon Works. Following concerns about the condition of the site, the former potbank on Sturgess Street, which is home to two Grade II listed bottle ovens, the council has begun work to protect as much of the historic complex as possible, with the costs recovered from the owners. Where structures pose an immediate danger, some elements may need to be dismantled to prevent further damage to the wider historic site.

• 🚧 See Burslem Market Hall. You can get a sneak peek of the multi-million-pound regeneration work taking place at Burslem Market Hall from the middle of next month. A viewing window has been installed at 32 Queen Street, which backs onto the indoor market space where work to restore the Grade II listed building is being carried out. In addition to stripping back and replacing the current roof, work is progressing on the brickwork, guttering and other external features. Inside, a temporary events space is being created that organisations can use in the short to mid-term. You can view the works on Tuesdays from 15 September.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. Comic Con is coming to Stoke, well Fenton Manor actually, on 26/09 from 10am-4pm. Browse anime-related stalls and meet celebrities from TV and the movies! Fans attending are also invited to dress up as your favourite TV, film or other fictional character and be ready to compete in our cosplay competitions! Tickets £5 kids, £9 adults; £11 for early entry and £25 for a family ticket (two adults, two children).

  
  It’s nearly time for the Potters Arf Marathon! (04/10), which features a 5k fun run, half marathon walk, and half marathon relay – Lou Macari will be this year’s honorary starter. Star of Travel Man and cult classic The IT Crowd, Richard Ayoade is at the Regent (19/10) to explore notions such as where’s the box to tick if you are a robot and if, when one door shuts, another door opens, there's something wrong with your doors; tickets from £41.90.

  
  The perfect Hallowe’en warm-up, Friday Twilight – Beware the Werewolf (23/10, 7.30pm-9.30pm, bar opens at 6pm) at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, an eerie stage drama written and performed by Jonathan Goodwin, is sure to give you the chills; tickets £15. If you want the Hallowe’en vibes to carry on, check out the Bishton Hall Ghost Hunt (21/11, 8pm-2am) in Wolseley Bridge, which is said to be haunted by the ghost of Charlotte Sparrow, who inherited the house from her father, with special guest investigators Tracey and Andy Lindon of Whispered Encounters; tickets £59 per person.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

🏙️ A Hanley Heritage Day is proving popular: We highlighted Heritage Day ‘Exploring Hanley’s Monuments and Stories’. Get along there on 19/09 for some historic fun!
🍺 Taprooms, sushi, pizza, a music venue: Read our story on the plans for Newcastle as Capital & Centric gets ready to launch its four regeneration projects next year
😅 Reform councillor resigns from wrong council: Whoops! Christine Duffy handed her resignation in to Kidsgrove Town Council even though she represented Newcastle

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent): It’s bank holiday, so it’s raining, of course 😆

Mon 🌦️ 18° (10°) Tue 🌧️ 20° (13°) Wed 🌧️ 20° (13°) Thu 🌧️ 20° (14°) Fri 🌧️ 19° (12°) Sat ☁️ 21° (13°) Sun ☀️ 21° (11°).

Sunrise 31/08: 06.16 ☀️ Sunset 31/08: 20.01 🌅

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I’ve been curious to see the progress being made in Newcastle for the past few months, constantly craning my neck as I drive past the site of the old York Place shopping centre and the adjacent Ryecroft brownfield site. So it’s with a sense of excitement that I pull on some work boots and don a hard hat to explore the sites with Capital & Centric’s development manager, Jonny Nolan. “Work started in December and we were drilling concrete in February – it’s amazing how quickly they’ve gone up,” he tells me as we begin at the Rye Park site, where 175 homes are being built, including 43 affordable homes with Aspire Housing. While the scaffolding is still up, windows are almost ready to go in, and some frontages have already been installed. It will be the first of Capital & Centric’s developments to be finished, with a launch party scheduled for January 2027.

The development will include a cinema, gym and flexible working spaces, with the various Newcastle developments interconnected so residents can move between them using a fob system. The Aspire units will be ready mid-May with planting planned for the site ahead of spring. “Rye Park will be heavy on the landscaping – people will walk out and it will be like a country park,” says Nolan.

Over the road at Astley Place, in addition to 42 apartments, a taproom, a pizza restaurant, a Greek eatery, a coffee shop, and a sushi place are all in the mix, along with a music venue and, potentially, a pickleball court and a library. “People want to live somewhere where they can grab a bite to eat,” states Nolan, who lives at Capital & Centric site Kampus, situated on a former Manchester Metropolitan University site. Asked if he could live here in Newcastle, his answer is emphatic: yes. “Our spaces in Newcastle are around 5-10 per cent larger than the ones in Manchester.”

Then there’s Karparc, the former Midway car park, which will be transformed into 111 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Meanwhile, Zanzibar will bring 62 affordable homes alongside enterprise units for local start-ups. Karparc is expected to be completed in May 2027, with Zanzibar following in autumn 2027.

Asked what kind of reception the projects have met with from locals, Nolan says there has been plenty of enthusiasm. “On a daily basis, the contractors are engaging with the public who are walking past, and I spend a lot of time down here, too. I’m walking around today in my Capital & Centric jumper and people will stop and say, “When’s it happening? This is great.” I think the public are really interested to know what they can they go and enjoy at the sites.”

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He believes much of that interest comes from what the developments will offer to people who don’t live there. “We want to create an environment where members of the public and residents can mingle and enjoy nice public space. There’s going to be a central courtyard space which is really verdant, really green, and all the public can enjoy that as well.”

To bring everything together, Capital & Centric will also be undertaking some highway improvements, which will improve the look of the high street. “You’ll see a lot more greenery and landscaping in the coming months,” he says.

The work requires a Section 278 agreement with the highways authority. Once approved, it will be carried out alongside the various phases of the developments. By 2028, he says, the aim is for the improvements to knit the various developments together and create a greener, more attractive high street.

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, how are you? Welcome to another week of The Knot’s positive news round-up from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire – a little dose of good news to brighten your Monday.

We’re doing things a little differently this week, intertwining our good news offerings with a piece on Reform in Newcastle, where things aren’t looking particularly good for the party following the resignation of Christine Duffy, the former councillor for Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough’s Town ward.

She originally sent her letter of resignation to Kidsgrove Town Council, which was shared with Kidsgrove Independents. She then stated she was not, in fact, resigning on Reform Newcastle’s Facebook page. The Council then announced they’d received her resignation on Friday, with the letter dated 20 August.

We hope you enjoy your week, and look out for our feature on all the latest updates from Capital & Centric in Newcastle this Wednesday when we will be running our interview with development manager Jonny Nolan. He told us to watch out for a launch party at Rye Park this January, with the public invited to join.

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Good News 🎉

👨🏻 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Professor Raheel Nawaz 👨🏻

The University of Staffordshire’s Pro Vice-Chancellor will receive one of Pakistan’s highest honours, the Medal of Distinction, in recognition of his sustained policy contribution to national strategies for education and technology. Professor Nawaz is among the top 10 most cited scholars in the world in five fields: Applied AI, Digital Education, Educational Data Science, Tertiary Education, and Future of Education. Professor Nawaz is also a strong advocate for compassionate leadership and believes kindness is one of the most impactful leadership traits. His TEDx talk exploring this philosophy has been cited by ministers and heads of state. He will be presented with the Medal of Distinction at a special ceremony on Pakistan Day on 23 March 2027.

• 🏗️ New plans for Iceland Longton. Demolition work is set to start on the former Iceland store in Hanley today. The work to safely pull down the vacant Charles Street building and to carry out site preparation and levelling work will take around six weeks to complete and will pave the way for the first phase of the multi-million-pound Etruscan Square brownfield regeneration scheme to progress. The council is working with partners PfP Igloo and Genr8 to deliver the Etruscan Square development with a phase 1 scheme of new, affordable homes.

• 🔥 Help for Sandyford residents. With the cause of the fire in Sandyford now determined to be a disposable BBQ, Stoke-on-Trent City Council is continuing to support residents and oversee recovery work in the area. Four households were provided with emergency accommodation, while other families affected by the fire were able to stay with friends and relatives nearby. Staffordshire Police has arrested two people in connection with the incident and investigations are continuing. Building assurance officers are continuing to assess the condition of the properties and advise on the safety measures required.

• ☕️ Coffee#1 opens at Trentham. There’s a new place for a latte following the opening of this popular chain at Trentham Shopping Village. The seasonal menu is looking sweet, with passionfruit and mango tart and raspberry and coconut cake among the temptations. Pair it with a Dubai-style iced mocha or a Tropical Milkshake. No need to leave the dog outside, as they’re welcome.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. If you love a cocktail, World Class GB 2025 winner Lele Mensah is taking over the bar at Desire (28/08, 6pm), serving a specially created menu of cocktails inspired by culture, flavour and storytelling.

  The Kiln at Number 12 in Longton has plenty coming up, including wax melt burner pottery painting (16/11, 1pm-2.30pm), tree light pottery painting (23/11, 1pm-2.30pm), Christmas bauble pottery painting (30/11, 1pm-2.30pm) and dog clay modelling (07/12, 1pm-3pm). There’s been a lot of interest in the Heritage Open Days from Knotters, so here’s another: a Walking Tour Exploring Hanley’s Monuments & Stories (19/09, 2pm-3pm), which explores the park and cemetery among other historic spots; the walk begins at the bandstand.

  
  Ready for some laughs? The The Funhouse Comedy Club is back (23/09, 7.30pm) at The Rigger with its “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” competition, where 12 new comedians battle it out to survive 5 minutes; tickets from £5. Penkhull Village Brass – Oktoberfest will bring the oompahs in a traditional beerhouse setting at the Dipping House on 16/10 and 17/10, with ales provided by local brewhouse Lymestone Brewery.

As Gullis rages at Kidsgrove Independents, another Reform councillor is gone in Newcastle, prompting a by-election

Words: Helen Dalley

Is Reform unravelling in Newcastle? Jonathan Gullis has been accused of shouting, swearing and making threats towards Kidsgrove town councillor Gordon Davies, a member of the Kidsgrove Independents, at a council meeting on 8 July. Davies alleged that Gullis’ remarks included ‘get the f**k out of here’, and ‘I’m having you’ and added that he later made a verbal apology to him for the expletive-ridden outburst. Davies also alleges that a fellow councillor had to physically restrain Gullis during the confrontation.

Cllr Davies said the incident began after he approached the council leader during a recess to explain why he had earlier asked the chief executive why the meeting had started early. The allegations have not been independently verified and are the subject of a council Code of Conduct complaint. He told The Knot that he’s hoping the monitoring officer at the council will conduct a ‘proper investigation’ into his complaint. “At the moment she wants to deal with it informally. In my appreciation that means letting cllr Gullis get away with aggressive and threatening behaviour which incited some other Reform cllrs to behave just as badly to me in mob pile-in fashion.”

In a post on his personal Facebook page on 10 August, Gullis does not refer to last month’s council meeting. He does, however, accuse the Kidsgrove Independents of going beyond legitimate political scrutiny, alleging that a “sustained online campaign” against him had resulted in “repeated personal insults” and online threats that had left him concerned about the safety and wellbeing of his loved ones.

Also last month, Reform's Olivia Westcott lost her Kidsgrove Town Council seat after failing to sign her mandatory Declaration of Acceptance of Office within the required time limit. Labour’s Angela Cooper won the Kidsgrove Central & Ravenscliffe Town Council by-election on 6 August with 403 votes compared to Westcott’s 377 votes. Westcott remains a Reform councillor on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

There was yet more drama for Reform Newcastle this month as former councillor Christine Duffy sent her resignation letter to the wrong council, insisted she wasn’t leaving, and then resigned anyway. On 4 August, Duffy originally sent a resignation letter to Kidsgrove Town Council, even though she represented Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's Town ward. Duffy then stated on Reform’s Facebook page for Newcastle Borough that she wasn’t resigning.

But on 21 August, the council issued a press release stating that they had received her resignation, prompting a by-election. The original resignation letter was obtained by Kidsgrove Independents, who shared it on their Facebook page. In the letter, Duffy stated her reason for resigning as, “I had very little or no training for this role.”

Duffy says she withdrew her resignation before it reached the council's Proper Officer, while the Kidsgrove clerk reportedly forwarded the resignation to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council on the same day. A text message from Duffy, shared by Kidsgrove Independents on 8 August, also appeared to indicate that she believed she was no longer a councillor. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council chief executive Gordon Mole, however, has said that by the time he received the resignation, it had already been withdrawn.

Cllr Ray Williams, leader of the Kidsgrove Independents, told The Knot when a council appears to be sitting on a councillor's resignation letter rather than acting on it, it is not a good look. “Cllr Christine Duffy resigned her position on 4 August, and her messages up to and including 8 August were clear that she believed she was no longer a councillor. Yet Gordon Mole told the BBC that cllr Duffy rescinded her resignation immediately.

“Cllr Duffy has confirmed she spoke to no one from Newcastle Borough Council, and that the only message she received on the matter was from Cllr Gullis, which she was ignoring. So, the question is: who told Gordon Mole that this resignation had been withdrawn? Has Mr Mole been given inaccurate information, or has something else gone on here? This is a matter we intend to pursue, though we understand that may prove difficult given the monitoring officer's previous conduct in relation to the Reform administration.”

On 19 August, Duffy issued a statement, which said, “My position could not be clearer. I remain a Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Councillor for the Town ward and will continue carrying out the role I was elected to do.” Two days later, however, the Borough Council confirmed that they received her resignation last Friday, prompting a by-election for the Town ward.

Kidsgrove Independents has since submitted an FOI request seeking the exact date and time the resignation email was received, the exact date and time it was accessed or read by Mole, records of communications between the council and cllr Duffy, the dates and times of those communications, and any records relating to the withdrawal of the resignation.

Duffy issued another statement via Reform’s Facebook page on 22 August, stating, “This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but recent events have taken a significant toll on my health and wellbeing. I have therefore reached the difficult conclusion that I must now put my health first.” She added that she had received calls from national newspaper journalists despite her personal telephone number not being publicly available. “I do not know how they obtained it, but I have found this deeply unsettling.”

Kidsgrove Independents have since said that the by-election, “is not just embarrassing for the party – it’s the voters delivering their verdict on Gullis’ shambolic leadership.” They added, “We know Reform will come for us for holding them to account. If that's the cost of giving residents confidence in local democracy, so be it.”

On our socials…

We chatted with Jonny Nolan, development manager at Capital & Centric, about the progress being made at Newcastle, with a launch party scheduled for Rye Park in January…

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

🚶‍♀️ Walking Stoke’s surviving bottle ovens: We joined a walk to raise cash for a mural commemorating 60 years of dance music in the city, which will be situated in Hanley
💃 A new place to go: In case you’ve missed it, The Warehouse @ Potbank will open this Autumn: events are selling out first so go check out the website for tickets!
😀 Heritage Open Days are back: they’re running from 11-20/09, book here

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):

Mon ⛅️ 23° (12°) Tue ⛅️ 28° (14°) Wed ☀️ 30° (15°) Thu ⛅️ 27° (13°) Fri ⛅️ 25° (13°) Sat 🌧️ 23° (13°) Sun ☁️ 22° (13°).

Sunrise 24/08: 06.04 ☀️ Sunset 24/08: 20.16 🌅

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From the days of the Golden Torch and Top Rank to The Void and Shelley’s, Stoke has a rich and storied history of dance culture. In the early 70s, the Torch was blasting out the latest Northern Soul hits and its all-nighters later became the stuff of legend, while 20 years later, big names like Paul Oakenfold and Sasha were behind the decks for the Golden, the legendary house and trance club night at the Void, when ravers from all over the north and the Midlands, including Manchester, Birmingham, Crewe, and Wolverhampton, would descend on the club to dance ‘til the early hours.

Music lover Phil Johnson wanted to do something to pay tribute to Stoke’s contribution to dance music. He’s already made a start with six unofficial blue plaques around the city – four in Hanley, one in Stoke and one in Newcastle – one of which commemorates The Place, widely regarded as one of the UK’s first purpose-built discotheques, designed to play recorded music via a DJ instead of a live band.

But he had bigger ambitions in mind, and came up with a plan to commemorate the city’s dance culture with a mural featuring the nightspots and DJ’s of Stoke’s golden days. A location has now been secured, and a crowd funder secured over £11,000, with donations coming from Denise Coates and JCB among others. Artist Tom Edwards, who has been involved in projects at Stoke Minster, the World War I mural in Longton, and nature scenes along local rivers, has already been commissioned.

The one obstacle Phil is now trying to navigate is that the location, outside the Victoria Inn in Hanley, falls within the city centre conservation area. “This means the council‘s planning department have to look at things such as ‘does it involve advertising or include anything inappropriate or change the general environment and spoil the local Edwardian and Victorian architecture’? Obviously, we are hoping they say go ahead but there is a chance that we will have to put in a planning application, which could cost £600, hence the sponsored walk,” he explains.

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The 14-mile trek began in Longport and criss-crossed the city, taking in Burslem, Hanley, Etruria, Stoke and Fenton before culminating at Gladstone, where the six towns’ greatest concentration of bottle ovens can be found. By exploring Stoke’s industrial heritage with a band of dance music fans and history-loving ramblers, Johnson now hopes to pay tribute to six decades of Stoke’s nightlife.

On a scorching August morning, there are around 20 of us gathered outside Cherished Chimneys, mostly sporting sunglasses, backpacks and hiking boots, before we descend onto the Trent and Mersey Canal at Longport to admire the first bottle oven en route, a glorious specimen encased in buddleia that once made Price & Kensington teapots. It casts long, shimmering reflections into the murky water and before long, Middleport is in sight, the second bottle oven on our journey. We’re just two bottle ovens in, and everyone is already happily snapping away.

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, how are you doing? Welcome to The Knot’s weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Before we get started, we want to send our send our thoughts to everyone affected by the devastating fires around the Sandyford and Goldenhill last Friday, with four homes lost and six firefighters hospitalised. A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, both from Stoke-on-Trent, have been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the incident.

Sadly, as we've seen in many parts of the country, fires have also broken out elsewhere across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire in recent days, including at Parkhall Country Park, Tamworth and Cannock Chase.

Now, onto some brighter news. We know that you are hungry for development and new things to do here in Stoke – and we are too. That’s why we were thrilled when the artist impressions of the Warehouse @ Potbank dropped in our inbox last week.

Representing the continuing evolution of The QUARTER at Potbank, it will open this autumn. Publicist Rob Stanway told The Knot, “The space is a larger version of our Factory Floor which we opened four years ago. The Factory Floor holds 140 now that it’s had a little extension, but the warehouse can hold between 300 and 500 depending on the setup. It really is geared toward larger events.”

Rob added, “We’ve got some tribute nights to begin with (the ABBA tribute on 9 October has already sold out but there’s a 90s DJ night on 16 October and lots more DJ nights planned) and then we move into Christmas parties. As for next year who knows, we hope to have some amazing gigs here.”

Who would you like to see play at this ace new space? Let us know in the comments!

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Good News 🎉

• 🏟️A new place to go! Big changes are afoot at Quarter at the Potbank in Stoke, with plans to launch a new space, The Warehouse, this autumn. It will be a brand new late night venue with space for up to 500 and host everything from live music nights to weddings and other big events. Keep an eye on what’s coming up at their website: there are plenty of other great events to choose from, including a Glow in the Dark DJ night, Coldplay Live, 80s DJ Night, plus Christmas and New Year’s Eve events are also bookable.

🙇‍♀️ THE KNOT’S PEOPLE OF THE WEEK – OUR FAB STUDENTS 🙇‍♀️

There were celebrations at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) following a record-breaking year of A Level, T Level and vocational results for the class of 2026. More than 1,400 student entries recorded an overall pass rate of 99.2%, with 62.5% of students earning top grades of A*-B (58% in 2025) and 28.4% achieving A*-A (24% in 2025). Overall, 85.6% of entries achieved A*-C grades (85.3% in 2025). Over at the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College the overall A-Level pass rate reached 98%, with nearly 50% achieving top grades (A*, A, or B) and Stoke on Trent College achieved its strongest T Level results to date! Well done to all students who just got their results wherever you studied – we wish you all the best for the future!

• 🚲 Up to 1,000 e-bikes coming to Stoke. We know that they can be controversial, but there’s no denying they present an easy way to get around town and are a good option for shorter journeys. The bikes are set to be installed around the six towns and the scheme comes at no cost to the council, with an operator recruited to provide, maintain and manage the bikes.

• 🏗️ Work starts on 24 restoration projects. Work is set to start on revitalising 24 monuments and landmarks across the city thanks to a lottery restoration fund worth more than £240,000. Work has begun on the first eight monuments: Cenotaph and Memorial Wall, Tunstall Memorial Gardens; Sir Henry Doulton Statue, Burslem; Swan Square War Memorial, Burslem; Drinking Fountain, St John’s Square, Burslem; Hanley Cemetery War Memorial; Statue of James Brindley, Etruria; Tomb of Josiah Wedgwood, Stoke and Glebedale Park Memorial.

• 🏞️ Charity purchases Middleport Mill & Port Vale Mill. There’s a new lease of life ahead for Middleport Mill and Port Vale Mill on Milvale Street at Middleport, as the old buildings have been purchased by addiction charity Walk Ministries, which helps ex-prisoners and those at risk of prison get back on their feet. CEO Simon Paul Edwards said, “I believe Stoke-on-Trent has some of the most incredible industrial architecture in the country. We shouldn’t be embarrassed by our industrial past; we should be proud of it and find ways to make these buildings relevant again.”

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. Ready to check out a brand new venue? Get tickets for a 90s DJ Night at the Warehouse at Potbank (16/10; arrive from 7pm, tickets from £8.25). Can’t make the date? There’s plenty more here.

  
  If you love crafting, check out Contemporary Collage Live! at the University of Staffordshire (18/09 & 19/09, 10am-5pm; tickets £85), where the mornings will feature talks from leading collage artists and the afternoons will be dedicated to workshops. The Heritage Open Days listings are coming in now, and we like the sound of a Walking Tour Exploring Fenton’s Monuments & Stories (11/09, 1pm; meet at Fenton War Memorial, admission free). As part of the event, you are invited to bring or share photographs, stories, memories and memorabilia. The full listing for the Heritage Open Days is here, with events regularly updated.

  
  The Stoke Rep is getting in the spooky mood early with its production The Ghost Train (29/09-03/10; 7.30pm; tickets £16.50), Arnold Ridley's classic comedy-thriller where a group of mismatched travellers become trapped overnight in a remote railway waiting room, terrified of encountering a phantom train; tickets from £31.72. Political satirist Jonathan Pie is at the Victoria Hall with his show The End of the World According to Jonathan Pie (22/10, 7.30pm; tickets from £25.26, over 14s only).

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

🛌 The PM wants to end rough sleeping. Here’s what charities in Stoke think: Don’t forget the families, says CEO of Gingerbread Family Support
🖼️ The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition is back! There’s more info here
😍 I’m The Knot’s No. 1 fan: This story from James is still highly clickable!

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):

Mon ☁️ 21° (15°) Tue 🌧️ 20° (12°) Wed 🌧️ 19° (10°) Thu 🌩️ 18° (9°) Fri 🌩️ 18° (8°) Sat 🌧️ 18° (8°) Sun ☁️ 19° (9°).

Sunrise 17/08: 05.52 ☀️ Sunset 17/08: 20.32 🌅

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Backed by an initial £340 million package and closer working between national and local government, Andy Burnham announced on his first day in office that his government would "finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity". Burnham made a similar pledge during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, where rough sleeping fell significantly but was not eliminated.

After Burnham made the announcement, Newcastle MP Adam Jogee described it as “an important step” and highlighted that “everyone deserves the dignity of a safe place to call home.”

According to Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025–2030, 44 people were on the city’s rough sleeper caseload at the time the review was written, 30 of whom (68%) were classed as long-term rough sleepers. Around 30% were women, a proportion that has doubled over the previous five years.

But it’s not the PM, or MPs, who are at the sharp end of this crisis but the homeless charities dealing with it. What do they think about Burnham’s mission? We found out.

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When we asked Trevor Cottam, CEO of Gingerbread Family Support, which supports families, single pregnant women and vulnerable young parents, what one change would make the biggest difference to addressing rough sleeping and homelessness, he said that he’d stop waiting until people are already in crisis.

“We need to invest much more in preventing homelessness and not just responding to it. Prevention is the key to ultimately putting an end to homelessness as a whole, and we know what the warning signs are. If we get involved with families earlier, we can stop many of them ever becoming homeless. That’s better for the family, better for the children and it costs far less in the long run.”

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, how are you? Welcome to The Knot’s weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire – here to brighten your Monday.

I’m still recovering from my 15-mile walk around Stoke’s remaining 47 bottle ovens, which began at Middleport, went through Hanley, Stoke, and Etruria and ended up at Longton, where you’ll find the biggest cluster of them (around 20). The walk was organised by Phil Johnson, who is raising funds for a mural to celebrate 60 years of dance culture (donate here if you’re able) outside the Victoria Lounge Bar in Hanley.

Along the way, we bumped into people taking part in Potters Pursuit, a local city-wide mission that successfully raised funds for the No Cold For The Old pensioner charity.

We all moan about Stoke, and even at The Knot, it can be difficult to keep our positivity levels up. But recently, we’ve been noticing things. Fewer potholes on the drive to work, and roads being resurfaced and repainted. A real community vibe in Hanley on the weekend for street art festival City Centre Art Jam. Over at the park – which recently retained its Green Flag status, along with Burslem Park – the Pavilion has reopened, while a crackdown to limit the number of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) across the city has also been proposed.

There’s still much to be done, we know: unemployment remains high, and there’s not enough affordable housing for starters. Nevertheless, there remains a feeling that things just might be looking up.

We hope you enjoy your week, and look out for our feature on our walk round the city’s bottle ovens next week.

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Good News 🎉

• 🥰 Progress is being made. A new report shows how Stoke-on-Trent City Council is delivering on the things that matter to residents – and helping to build a better city. The ‘state of the city’ report shows how the council and its partners are progressing against key priorities, including securing £105 million from the government to improve transport network, and helping more than 500 people into work through the JET employability programme. Infant mortality rates and adult obesity rates have both fallen since 2023, while crime and anti-social behaviour is down by nearly 25% from 14.1 cases per 1,000 population to 10.6 cases.

👨🏻 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Patrick Shanahan 👨🏻

Son of PVFC owner Carol, Patrick has been appointed chair to head up the new Bradeley, Chell Heath and Fegg Hayes Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board, where he will help shape how up to £20 million of government funding is invested in the area. One of Patrick's key roles has been his work on the Vale Park Community Campus project, and he’s also been heavily involved in the creation of the Bradeley Football Development Centre. He will oversee a board that brings together residents, businesses, community groups, and local partners who, together, will decide the best way to spend the cash.

• ♻️ Recycling set to become simpler. If, like us, you find it difficult to keep on top of all the different recycling bins, then you’ll welcome the news that Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to introduce single-stream recycling, meaning all recyclable waste, such as paper, plastic, and cans, can be put in one blue bin. There’s no timeline just yet, just an assurance it will be happening “soon.”

• 🏡 More than £600k extra for affordable homes in Tunstall. Plans to inject extra investment to deliver 14 one-bedroom affordable apartments on a town centre brownfield site are set for approval. Councillors are being asked to approve an updated total scheme cost of £3.04 million for the development of the former Lily Gertrude Simister Court in Tunstall. The former site, on Wesley Street, has already been cleared following demolition of the previous building, and planning permission has been granted for the redevelopment.

• 🏞️ New businesses for Hanley Park. The historic pavilion welcomed an education project and a new kiosk to the park last weekend. Tutorage CIC is a community interest company that will run the cafe, supporting people who do not fit the traditional education system to find a different path, learn, gain qualifications, develop new skills, volunteer and meet new people. A new kiosk has also opened inside the Pavilion selling children’s toys and snacks.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. The inaugural Stoke Book Festival (03-10/10) will support the city's ongoing efforts to tackle literacy poverty. It will feature local author talks, interactive workshops, school events, and family activities. Full programme details are coming later this month.

  
  The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and opened last weekend; it’s on until 29/08 at Keele University, and is open Tue-Sat, 11am-3pm; entry is free. Love a dance? Barlaston Hall is opening its doors for ‘A Night to Remember’ with its Strictly Knot Dancing fundraiser (12/09, 6.30pm-late), where guests can explore the Grade-I listed hall and its fabulous grounds; register your interest for tickets; they’re £100 but it’s all for Dougie Mac, and Channel 4 will be filming. There’s another one at the King’s Hall on 09/11, but tickets aren’t available just yet…

  
  Regent Theatre has a busy September programme including The Night Sky Show (13/09, 5pm), which will take you on an epic journey across the cosmos with big screen visual effects; tickets from £31.72. Did you know that the Staffy Trail is on at Trentham until 18/09? There will be eight bulldog sculptures scattered throughout the park. As ever, it’s free for Trentham members with 15% off during the summer holidays if you book 48 hours in advance; more here.

On our socials…

We walked the 47 bottle ovens and spoke to walk organiser Phil Johnson, who led the historic ramble to raise funds for a mural celebrating 60 years of dance culture in SOT.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

😍 I’m The Knot’s No. 1 fan: Our fab founder, James, reflects on why he’s become a paid subscriber since handing over the reins to new owners The Lead
🥤More things to do in Longton: you were especially keen to hear about the new cafe Sugar Rush Social inside Longton Market, a retro diner with fab milkshakes
🌿 Calls to protect Staffordshire from extreme weather: James highlighted this recent article in his piece on why he became a paid sub, and many clicked on to read it

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):

Mon ⛅️ 23° (12°) Tue ⛅️ 28° (14°) Wed ☀️ 30° (15°) Thu ⛅️ 27° (13°) Fri ⛅️ 25° (13°) Sat 🌧️ 23° (13°) Sun ☁️ 22° (13°).

Sunrise 10/08: 05.40 ☀️ Sunset 10/08: 20.46 🌅

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It’s called The Knot.

Since I handed over the reins to Helen and The Lead team I’ve sat back and become an avid reader of the publication I always wanted to exist in the area I live in. The Knot has come a long way since our first ever article in May 2024!!

I read every single issue, finding out what’s going on, what events are coming up and I’m increasingly interested to read the next feature article out on Wednesdays.

For example, I actually didn’t know about the wildfires in the Roaches. I see the dry land all around me, I love the Peak District, I love the green spaces we have in Staffordshire and was pleased to see this issue being raised and spoken about. Albeit deeply concerned for our climate, nature and wildlife.

Hearing that the owner of Vellichor books, Mitch, had a dirty, steaming book thrown through the door of his bookshop and that Pride displays are being actively taken down… well I didn’t know this was happening and it made me… think. Safe to say, I didn’t see this as “good news”, nor did I particularly love reading it. But, I LOVED reading it, I loved that we are covering it. That we are informing people and contributing our bit to the important layer of accountability that local journalism provides.

“Surely actively taking something down is spending more resources rather than saving them, which is what the new council kept banging on about? Is this stuff going on in the Reform-led Staffordshire County Council, a bit… weird?”

These articles have made me think, made me question and given me access to information and knowledge that I didn’t have before. That’s the whole point. That’s why I always believed independent news and local journalism is so so important.

When I started The Knot, this is what I wanted. I wanted a publication that would champion our area. I began that with the zeal of positivity and good news, yet I always wanted to add some robust reporting on serious issues to it too. Now we have that and I get to delight in reading it.

I get to still be involved too, which is fun. I emailed the team the other day after we got a tip-off about the Vaults space at Goods Yard - apparently someone has taken that on, or is very late on in taking it on. That’ll be good and interesting news.

There are loads more stories and I know that Helen and the team would love to write them all.

It’s funny, taking a back seat, not driving it along. I can see how early this all still is. You don’t build a new news outlet overnight and from my vantage point now, I still see how much support we need to keep adding fuel to the fire. Every read matters, every share matters, every paid subscriber makes a huge difference.

If you’re an avid reader of The Knot, please consider upgrading to paid. You’ll support our journalism and you’ll get access to all of our feature journalism.

Subscribe now

It really is a great read and if you care about Stoke and North Staffordshire, you won’t be getting this news anywhere else. That’s worth backing.

I’m a proud subscriber, regular reader and proud founder!

Cheers,

James x

🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, how are you? Welcome to The Knot’s weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire – here to brighten your Monday.

From what you’ve been reading and sharing on Substack, Instagram and Facebook , we know you love stories about what’s new in the area. Whether it’s the latest developments from Capital & Centric in Newcastle (we’ve got an interview with them coming next month, so keep an eye out), or new cafe, restaurants and independent shops opening their doors, we’ll keep bringing you the good news.

It often feels like you wait ages for a new cafe or shop to open, then several arrive at once. That’s certainly the case in Longton, where a number of new businesses have opened in The Exchange and Longton Market over the past week.

If you’re planning a visit, the market is hosting a Carnival Day on Saturday 22 August (10am–3pm), with free face painting, and retro games like hook-a-duck, coconut shy, and ring toss. It seems like the perfect excuse to browse the new shops before treating yourself to a milkshake at the retro diner Sugar Rush Social.

Have a wonderful week, and don’t miss Wednesday’s feature on homelessness, which includes insights from Trevor Cottam, CEO of the Gingerbread Centre.

PS: We’d love to grow The Knot and reach more people who enjoy positive local news. If you know someone who’d like it too, we’d be so grateful if you could share this newsletter with a friend, family member or colleague. Thank you so much for your support!

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Good News 🎉

• 🥰 More things to do in Longton Everything’s happening at once in Longton! Toy shop SDPrime Toys opened last Saturday, with squishes, fidget toys and gifts. The old Wilco site is set to be replaced, too, as budget home and family store Boyes is opening there soon. We love all this teenage entrepreneurialism, too: over at Longton market, 19-year old Ellie Meredith has opened an American-inspired diner, Sugar Rush Social, for milkshakes and retro drinks, as has True Grain workshop, run by 18-year-old entrepreneur Riley, who also offers handyman services. Don’t miss, too, local artist Rob Fenton’s first stall, Hustlers of Culture, for all your art needs, including acrylics, spray paints, and sketchbooks.

🎬 THE KNOT’S PEOPLE OF THE WEEK – Inspired Film & Video 🎬

Change is afoot at Spode, where Inspired Film and Video has just moved into its new premises at Spode Creative Village, where it will join the growing createch community. The move will also support the appointment of two new members of staff and give the company additional space for production, editing, animation and podcast recording. The team produces film and animation work, plus social media content and live streaming services. Celebrating 20 years of business in 2026, some of its clients include Royal Stoke, Staffordshire University, Wedgwood, and Steelite.

• 🚽 Twyford will live on. While it’s sad that such a historic building is set to be demolished, there was a big fire in 2012 and was allowed to be used as a dumping ground for illegal waste by its previous owners. Cllr Findlay Gordon McCusker, cabinet member for transport, planning, and infrastructure, pointed out that the best way to protect a historic building is to give it a future: finding a viable new use, securing investment and preserving the features that make it special. “At the flagship Twyford’s Cliffe Vale site, historic industrial buildings have been converted into homes while retaining their character,” he added.

• 👩‍🦰 Funding for domestic violence survivors. There’s £4.5 million coming to Staffordshire County Council for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The funding from central government, which covers 2026–2030, will provide safe accommodation and support services for victims of domestic abuse, including refuges and specialist support for survivors and their children. The council currently works with local safe accommodation providers Staffordshire Women’s Aid, Glow, and Pathway Project, and supported 460 adults and children last year.

• 🐸 Nature restoration work at Ford Green Brook. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s project will create a range of new habitats to help plants and animals thrive, including digging shallow ponds, widening sections of the brook and reshaping parts of the channel to allow the water to flow in a more natural way. These changes will create slower-moving water in some areas and deeper, faster sections in others. This variety is important for wildlife, helping different species to feed, shelter and breed. Work is to begin on Monday 24 August, weather-dependent, with the project expected to take around five to six weeks.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. Ey up, it’s Bottle Oven Day soon (29/08), which commemorates the date in 1978 when a Potteries bottle oven was kindled and fired for the last time. To mark the occasion, Barewall is hosting an exhibition of these mighty giants by model maker Chris Twigg and photographer Phil Crow from 10am-3pm; refreshments will be available.

  
  There’s a Family Fun Day coming (09/08, 10am-4pm) at Tunstall Park and the floral hall, with live performances, a bouncy castle, plus food and drink stalls; admission free, with all proceeds going to Royal Stoke’s cancer unit. It’s the 60th anniversary of the Penkhull Festival of Music & Art this year (24-26/09), which mixes music with visual arts, exhibitions and community events: we like the sound of Schubert by Candlelight and A Poet's Echo (25/09, 7.30pm, tickets £25); book tickets for all individual events here.

  
  Step aboard the Butty and Brew Breakfast Train (05/09, 12/09 & 19/09; departs 10.30 from Froghall Station) for a bap and hot drink and scenic views; tickets £15. Feeling spooky? It’s almost time for Scarefest at Alton Towers (06-27/09, 02-04/10, 09-11/10, 16/10-01/10) where you’ll not only meet some scary characters but also get to ride many of the major rollercoasters after dark.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

😍 Meet the volunteers who’ve kept Gladstone going for 50 years: Now in their 70s, Terry Woolliscroft and Paul Niblett are still turning up to support the museum
🌹 Andy Burnham is PM. What does it mean for Stoke?: From our ceramics industry to homelessness, we break it down based on what the new Northern PM has said so far
🏺 Exploring Stoke’s global ceramics influence: There’s a new publication, Legacy and Continuity: Willow Pattern Ceramics and Stories of ‘Other’; download it for free.

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent): Good news for gardens… rain is on its way!

Mon 🌧️ 21° (13°) Tue 🌧️ 19° (11°) Wed 🌧️ 19° (10°) Thu 🌧️ 21° (11°) Fri 🌧️ 21° (12°) Sat ☁️ 21° (13°) Sun 🌧️ 23° (13°).

Sunrise 03/08: 05.29 ☀️ Sunset 03/08: 20.59 🌅

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Some people like to hug trees. For Terry Woolliscroft, it’s the bottle ovens at Gladstone, where he’s been volunteering for 53 years. He throws his arms around the bricks with a grin while his brother-in-law, Paul Niblett, always ready with a smile and an anecdote for guests wandering round the museum, looks on. Between them they’ve spent more than a century volunteering at Gladstone.

Former Wedgwood man Terry is not only a volunteer but also co-author of Bottle Ovens & the Story of the Final Firing (2018) with his wife Pam, and creator of several websites including a page dedicated to bottle ovens, and a potbank dictionary that began life in a notebook in 1968 and features almost 1,800 terms and counting.

Terry must arguably rank as one of Stoke’s biggest bottle oven fans. “I can’t keep bottle ovens out of my mind, to be honest. I started the Bottle Oven Art Club during lockdown and that involved loads of people locally. About 100 people got involved and signed up to the Bottle Oven Art Club, and we had an online exhibition,” he begins.

Thanks to his contributions to helping shape the city’s identity, he features on the 100 Faces mural just above Robbie Williams – although he wasn’t there for the unveiling. “They forgot to invite me to the big opening. I was looking through the list and I thought, ‘Bloody hell, that’s me!’” Over the course of the two hours while we chat, I find this is typical Terry – modest, funny, and quietly unassuming, the perfect counterpoint to his more outgoing brother-in-law, who loves providing colour and background to the Gladstone story to guests.

It’s a bright, sunny July day when I meet Terry and Paul for a coffee at the museum, then wander outside for some photos, when there are just a handful of visitors before the school holidays kick off. He cosies up to Bottle Oven No 1, arms wrapped as far as they can around the 175-year old, 60-foot high oven once used for the initial firing of china as I try, and fail, to capture the enormity of this great piece of history.

Terry and his brother-in-law Paul, a former Michelin engineer who’s been here since 1971, have each devoted thousands of unpaid hours to preserving one of Stoke-on-Trent’s greatest pieces of history, the only complete Victorian pottery factory open to the public. “If it wasn’t for the volunteers in the very early days, the museum wouldn’t exist today,” Paul states.

When the volunteers first walked through the gates in the early 1970s, Gladstone wasn’t the thriving heritage attraction visitors know today. It was a former pottery that needed an enormous amount of work before it could safely open to the public.

“We were mostly Michelin apprentices,” Paul recalls. “We were looking for a project we could get involved with as young engineers.”

Every Thursday evening, after finishing work, they arrived armed with tools to strip out redundant pipework, remove old machinery, and rescue equipment from potbanks that were closing across the city. They sometimes worked alongside young offenders from Werrington detention centre on the weekend, who were rewarded with fish and chips at lunchtime for their efforts.

Looking back, what strikes both men isn’t just what they built, but what they managed to save, and the relationships they formed along the way. Terry met his wife, Pam, a Gladstone curator here, while Paul met Terry’s sister.

As pottery factories closed across Stoke-on-Trent, machinery that had once been at the heart of the industry was heading for the scrapyard. The volunteers travelled from works to works rescuing throwing wheels, lathes, pumps, saggers and countless other pieces of equipment that might otherwise have disappeared forever.

Keeping the Potteries Alive

When Paul first arrived at Gladstone in ‘71, there were no guided tours, no school visits and no television crews filming pottery competitions. There was simply work to be done. The museum wouldn’t officially open until 1975, giving volunteers just a few years to help transform the derelict Victorian pottery into somewhere capable of welcoming the public.

“There was always something that needed doing,” Paul recalls. A donated steam engine needed installing. Buildings had to be made safe. Elsewhere, contractors reinforced walls and added buttresses to support structures that had never been designed to welcome thousands of visitors each year.

The volunteers tackled whatever they could. Some brought engineering skills. Others brought muscle. Terry laughs over his cuppa as he remembers becoming part of what the team affectionately called the “heavy brigade”, shifting materials, laying floors and helping wherever extra pairs of hands were needed.

As Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry contracted, another task emerged. Factories that had been at the heart of the city’s economy for generations were closing their doors, and with them came the risk that irreplaceable machinery would simply disappear.

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, and welcome to The Knot's weekly round-up of feel-good news from across Stoke and Staffs to cheer you up this Monday!

Aimed to deliver visible improvements that strengthen local pride, enhance neighbourhoods, the Pride in Place Impact Fund is being invested directly in the spaces that matter most to residents and community organisations across Stoke-on-Trent, with all projects chosen nominated by them rather than the council, or MPs.

The cash is being spent to deliver improvements to community spaces, parks, high streets and public places across the city, with Hanley’s Fountain Square receiving £80,000 towards public space and infrastructure improvements.

The Pride in Place Impact Fund has also recently awarded £10,000 for improved disability access at Uddallsfield allotments in Northwood, £5,800 for interpretation boards at Stoke Minster, and £40,800 to carry out improvements at Hambro Park in Fegg Hayes. Operating until 31 March 2027, successful projects will be scheduled for delivery across 2025/26 and 2026/27.

There’s more details on the Pride in Place Impact Fund and its objectives here.

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Good News 🎉

• 🥰 Brightening up Hanley. Fountain Square is one of the latest to benefit from the £1.5 million Pride in Place Impact Fund, with £80,000 given to fund public space and infrastructure improvements. With little shelter and seating at present, it is hoped that the revamp would encourage residents to spend more time in the square rather than simply passing through. Work on this project is set to commence later this year. And no, there won’t be a new fountain, alas.

🏃‍♂️THE KNOT’S PEOPLE OF THE WEEK – our Commonwealth Games Athletes

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are officially underway in Glasgow, with more than 70 countries competing across 10 sports and six para sports. Among the competitors are four Stokies: Jazmin Sawyers (long jump), Harry Ledingham-Horn (track cycling), Seamus Derbyshire (400m hurdles) and Oliver Carter (para swimming). Good luck to them all, we’re sure they’ll do fab. Tune in to watch it on TNT Sports (subscription required) or catch nightly live coverage and highlights on BBC Alba.

• 👩‍⚕️Cancer Treatment Available at Audley Health Centre University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust has teamed up with Pharmaxo Healthcare to launch the first community-based clinic that provides cancer treatment closer to home. Developed with West Midlands Cancer Alliance, the clinic provides systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) and other specialist infusion services in a community setting, helping to ease pressure on hospital services and improve the patient experience. The clinic is available for eligible patients at Audley Health Centre.

• 🚮 Tunstall Gets A Clean Up. After customers raised concerns about litter, fly-tipping and overgrown communal spaces, colleagues from housing and support provider Honeycomb Group came together for a Community Day to clear waste, refresh communal gardens and cut back overgrown trees. Local residents Sam and June, who have lived in the community for 19 years and recently celebrated 50 years of marriage, said: “It’s lovely to see people out here supporting the community and looking after us as tenants. It really shows that people care.”

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• 📖 Exploring Stoke’s Global Ceramics Influence. A new publication exploring our global ceramics heritage and its connections with China is now available to download for free. Legacy and Continuity: Willow Pattern Ceramics and Stories of ‘Other’ brings together international research and contemporary artistic perspectives examining the cultural exchange that helped shape the ceramics industry. Produced by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, it explores the global history of one of our most recognisable ceramic designs and the centuries of cultural exchange that shaped it. The publication accompanies the exhibition Willow Pattern Ceramics and Stories of ‘Other’, at the Spode Museum until 30/08.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. We know that you Knotters are buzzing about Stoke-on-Trent trying to get bee-friendly city status, so don’t miss this free event at Burslem Park (01/08, 11am-2pm), where you can go on a bumblebee safari, see a working beehive, and join bee-themed arts and crafts.

  
  There’s Live Music at Spode coming (07/08, 21/08, 04/09 & 18/09, 6pm-8pm), licensed events with local musicians in support of The Spode Museum Charitable Trust; tickets £6 and includes a welcome drink and nibbles (over 18’s only). Middleport’s theatre nights always seem to sell out, so book now for Titanic Tales (08/09, arrival from 6pm, performance 7pm), a stage show that explores the myths and legends of the doomed ocean liner; tickets £16.

  
  Heritage Open Days are back! One of the first to be announced is over at Gladstone (18/09, 10am-5pm); admission free. Sober festival Recoverfest, which celebrates recovery in all its forms and is open to all, is being held at Uttoxeter Racecourse (06/09, 12pm-6pm), with Lucy Spraggan headlining. There’s also a Healing Field with yoga, plus food and kids entertainment; admission free, get your ticket here.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

🗳️ Andy Burnham is now PM. What does it mean for Stoke? From ceramics to transport and housing to education, we break it down…
🍫 Filming at Middleport for The Cadburys: More info on the period drama here
😠 Critics question Staffs County Council’s Governance: Council leader Martin Murray has since responded, and we’ve added his quotes in…

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Sunrise 27/07: 05.18 ☀️ Sunset 27/07: 21.11 🌅

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The first northern PM since Harold Wilson left office in 1976, the newly-elected MP for Makerfield, Andy Burnham, made his opening speech as Prime Minister this Monday, promising to decentralise power away from Westminster with a No 10 in Manchester, a bold plan to end homelessness, and the biggest building of social housing since the post-war period. The new PM has talked about this moment being ‘a circuit breaker for Britain,’ bringing forward some of the biggest changes we’ve seen over the last 40 years.

All four of Stoke’s MPs are currently Labour and, perhaps unsurprisingly, welcome his appointment. Dr Allison Gardner, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, commented that she’s ‘excited’ by the direction Andy has set out, particularly his commitment to reindustrialising Britain. “Communities like Stoke-on-Trent South have the skills, the heritage and the potential to be at the heart of that mission,” she said.

MP for Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove, David Williams, said Burnham ‘gets’ places like ours. “He knows our towns don’t want lecturing from Whitehall,” he added.

So, how will his policies affect us here in Stoke? Read on to find out our predictions based on what he’s said so far…

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Cost of Living: His speech talked about giving people “breathing space and some help with the cost of living.” Yesterday, he pledged to remove tax from utility bills from 1 October 2026, which is expected to save households £45 over a six-month period.

Ceramics: Burnham has repeatedly argued that Britain should rebuild its manufacturing base rather than relying on financial services. With ceramics among the UK's most energy-intensive industries, Stoke could benefit if his government expands support for industrial decarbonisation, exports and advanced manufacturing. The government's recent £120 million support package for the ceramics sector suggests the industry is already firmly on Whitehall's radar.

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, and welcome to The Knot's weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke and Staffs, along with some news on local government reorganisation.

The government announced its plans for local government reorganisation last week and, as expected, it has opted to split the county into North Staffordshire and South & Mid Staffordshire, with the current 10 councils in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent set to be replaced by North Staffordshire Unitary and Southern and Mid Staffordshire Unitary. These new unitary councils are to be in place from April 2028.

The proposal was put forward by Stoke-on-Trent, Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire and Stafford councils, with Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader, Jane Ashworth, claiming, “this is the option that most closely reflects the reality of how people live, work and travel across our area and provides the strongest basis for future success.”

Councillor Martin Murray, Chair of the Staffordshire Leaders Board and leader of Staffordshire County Council said, “This is a significant and complex programme, but we will put residents first, protect essential services, and work together to deliver a system that works for the people we serve.”

However, Newcastle MP Adam Jogee has called the shake-up “completely unacceptable” and that he rejected them in “the strongest terms”, citing concerns over protecting Newcastle residents from the debt held by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council, and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Leader of Newcastle Borough Council, Jonathan Gullis said the plans to abolish the council were “a shameful betrayal of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the people who call our Borough home.” He added, “We will now fight Newcastle-under-Lyme’s corner throughout every stage of the transition. We will demand fair representation and ensure that our residents and communities receive their fair share of resources.”

Check out Wednesday’s edition of The Knot for more details and comment on this.

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Local Government Revamp & Good News 🎉

• 👩‍⚖️ Two New Unitary Authorities for Stoke & Staffs. After public consultation, the government has opted to split the county into two unitary authorities, North Staffordshire and South & Mid Staffordshire. Elections for the new shadow unitary authorities are expected to take place in May 2027, with the new councils formally taking responsibility for services from April 2028. After the transition, the unitary authorities will deliver all council services in their area, from children’s services, and adult social care to highways and waste collection.

📽️ THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Toby Jones 📽️

Actor Toby Jones, star of Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Marvellous, visited the Gladstone Pottery Museum on Who Do You Think You Are?, aired on the BBC last week (watch here) to explore his family’s links to the city through his father, Freddie Jones. His great-grandfather, Henry Enoch Jones, worked as a saggar maker. During the show, Gladstone’s curator and interim head of museum, Ben Miller, revealed that he’s Toby’s third cousin once removed! Small world eh?

• 🌆 Vision for former Zanzibar Site unveiled. Construction has officially begun at the former Zanzibar nightclub site in Newcastle, with Capital&Centric now set to transform brownfield site into a new mixed-use neighbourhood, delivering 63 affordable homes alongside five enterprise units at a key gateway into the town centre. Groundworks are progressing on site under a letter of intent agreed earlier this year, with HBC Construction appointed to deliver the scheme.

• 🎬 Filming at Middleport for The Cadburys. A film crew was in situ at Middleport Pottery this week for a period drama about the Cadbury family, and follows the underdogs of the cocoa world on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury’s chocolate bar. Starring Mathew Baynton, Felicity Montagu and Joanna Scanlan, it’s due to air on free-streaming service U&Original sometime in 2027, and there’s more info on the series here.

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• 🤩 Minton floor unveiled in Liverpool. One of the finest examples of Victorian design, the Minton floor at St George’s Hall was created in the 1850s using 30,000 handcrafted tiles featuring Liver birds, roman gods, sea nymphs and tridents. Usually kept covered under a wooden floor, you can take in this magnificent piece of local craftsmanship over the summer. Choose from the Minton Floor Reveal (until 02/09; 10am-3pm, £5.50), a 360-degree walk around the perimeter of the floor, or the Minton Tiles Experience (until 18/08; Monday to Sunday at 10am, 1pm and 3pm), a guided tour that explains the floor’s design in detail. You’ll need to wear protective shoe covers for both tours.

  

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. Cool cocktail bar Desire is hosting Culture Served (28/08) from 6pm-10pm with a guest shift from top mixologist Lele Menshah. Minecraft is coming to Alton Towers, with a UK-exclusive six-week summer event, Minecraft Meet the Mobs (now-28/08), with photo opps with creepers and a Baby Mobs Trail among the highlights; tickets £37 online. Book onto the Valentine Clays Open Day, (10/09), with a morning session, All About Casting, and an afternoon session, All About Glaze. Ever fancied walking Stoke’s 47 remaining bottle kilns? Now you can! The six-hour, 14-mile walk begins at 9.30am on 08/08 from Cherished Chimneys and ends at Gladstone to raise cash for a mural to commemorate Stoke’s nightclub culture. The Knot will be there – see you there. Entry £10. Fancy a laugh? Chris Ramsey from The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show is at the Regent (12/09) at 7.30pm with relatable tales about parenthood. Tickets from £36.74.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

👮‍♀️ Targeted activity to reduce crime: Four days of action were held this month to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime across Stoke-on-Trent
💰 £20 million for Meir North: Knotters were keen to find out more about this revamp
🪧 Critics question governance at Staffs County Council: The Reform-led council has faced criticism for a perceived lack of collaboration with other parties

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):

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Sunrise 20/07: 05.08 ☀️ Sunset 20/07: 21.22 🌅

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Since sweeping to power back in the May 2025 local elections by winning 49 of the 62 seats available, the Reform-led Staffordshire County Council has been mired in controversy, with two leaders forced to step down for racist social media posts, and councillor Charlotte Kelly defecting to the Conservatives last month due to allegations of regular bullying, swearing, and sexism within her local Reform branch.

The council’s third leader, Cllr Martin Murray, was appointed in March 2026 under a mandate of “stability, strong leadership and focus”. Conservative members, however, voted against Murray's formal appointment to the leadership role while Green Party and local independent councillors chose to abstain rather than support him.

One vocal critic of the administration is Cllr Alec Sandiford, who characterised the current administration’s leadership as “Trumpian” and lacking in transparency, citing the use of “smoke and mirrors” to avoid public scrutiny. He also accused the administration of misleading the public about its powers, particularly regarding national issues such as immigration, over which the county council has no direct control.

He expressed frustration on the breakdown in engagement between council officers and other local bodies. This includes Reform councillors’ reluctance to work with other councils, districts, and boroughs, which negatively impacts cross-council collaborations such as highways enforcement.

Cllr Murray was approached for comment and said, “I reject allegations regarding transparency, leadership, and my conduct. The administration has been open about the decisions it has taken and is committed to working constructively with partners across Staffordshire. Any suggestions of wrongdoing are entirely unfounded and pure politicisation.”

He added that he rejected the claim that the Council's priorities do not reflect residents' needs. “Our focus remains on delivering essential county council services, improving value for money, maintaining financial stability, and ensuring that every pound spent delivers the maximum possible benefit for Staffordshire residents.”

Culture wars prioritised as spending questioned

Cllr Sandiford told The Knot that, instead of prioritising collective decision-making for the benefit of the community, it is leading with Westminster-style identity politics. “There’s no direction from the current administration, all they’ve got is culture wars like a proposal to scrap “woke” EDI training and another to change the policy on dress code so all council members have to wear a suit, shirt and tie even when it’s 28 degrees or more. It’s really quite archaic and there are bigger problems to deal with.”

The council is currently requesting that the government write off around £90 million of accumulated SEND-related deficit while simultaneously highlighting about a £6 million underspend which, Sandiford argues, could result in less funding from central government in the future.

He added that it has spent £350,000 on additional security since coming to power last May, including £35,000 between January and May alone.

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, and welcome to The Knot's weekly round-up of feel-good news from across Stoke and Staffs to brighten up your Monday!

Stoke-on-Trent City Council joined forces with Staffordshire Police and local partners last week to carry out targeted activity in our town centres across the city. The four Days of Action looked to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime as well as engaging with residents, providing reassurance, and explaining the support available to people experiencing problems in their neighbourhoods.

Among the activities, the ASB Team and police delivered engagement events, including use of the mobile police station and community surgeries so residents could raise concerns directly with officers while providing education on how to report ASB related incidents. Teams also visited rough sleeping encampments, with support provided to individuals before sites were cleared and cleaned.

Councillor Duncan Walker, cabinet member for Safe and Resilient Communities and Housing, said: “We encourage residents to speak up when issues are affecting their quality of life, as early conversations and timely support can often help prevent concerns from escalating.”

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Good News 🎉

• 👮‍♀️ Targeting Crime. Stoke-on-Trent City Council latest initiative to address crime is part of ongoing work that aims to make communities safer and more welcoming for residents and visitors alike. Four days of action were held at the beginning of the month to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime as well as engaging with residents, providing reassurance and explaining the support available to people experiencing problems in their neighbourhoods. Residents can find examples of anti-social behaviour, along with advice and guidance here.

🩺 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Dr Sarveson Rajkumar 🩺

Our very own UHNM is now one of only five NHS Trusts in the UK offering a pioneering minimally invasive procedure to help patients with severe swallowing difficulties. Since the service launched at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in December 2025, eight patients have successfully undergone the procedure. It’s Dr Sarveson Rajkumar, consultant gastroenterologist and endoscopist, who is leading this amazing initiative. He says many of the patients the trust has worked with have experienced severe swallowing difficulties and may struggle to eat and drink. He added: “We’ve made an excellent start with positive outcomes from our first patients. As the service grows we hope to increase capacity and in time develop UHNM as a regional centre for this specialist procedure.”

• 🌆 Longton Town of Culture Bid Makes History. Longton’s campaign to become the UK’s first Town of Culture is set to become part of history, with its official bid postcard joining the National Museums Liverpool collection. The postcards have also been brought together on an interactive online map, so people can explore the towns taking part in the competition and discover the stories behind their bids. Longton’s colourful design captures the landmarks, businesses and traditions that reflect its identity and ambition. The artwork celebrates some of Longton’s landmarks and culture, with references to Walker’s Nonsuch toffee, the Longton Pig Walk, and Jollees, the live music venue that hosted the World Professional Darts Championship between 1979 and 1985.

• 🐆 Leopard Hotel Owners Under Pressure to Act. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is frustrated by the lack of progress being made to restore the former Leopard Hotel in Burslem, stating it expects to see “meaningful progress” and ”will not hesitate to use enforcement powers where necessary” with the current owners (see our interview with owner Danny Singh, who spoke to us about the building being badly damaged by a fire back in 2022, here). This has led to a new planning application being submitted for the former Grade II-listed hotel, which hosted the first meeting between Josiah Wedgwood, Thomas Bentley, Erasmus Darwin and James Brindley, and led to the construction of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

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• 🏆 Who Won at Staffs Chamber Business Awards? Last week, engineering and manufacturing firm The HEX Group was crowned Business of the Year at the awards, with another engineering company, Drayton Beaumont, crowned best Medium/Large Business, while Aston Marina won best Small Business. AMB Insurance and Midlands Air Ambulance both triumphed in the Responsible Business award, while Trentham’s head of events and marketing, Kerrie Pope, scooped Ambassador of the Year. You can check out all the winners here.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. Got any plans for the August Bank Holiday yet? Get along to The Big Feast the free bank holiday weekender (28/08 & 29/08) in Hanley town centre. Expect physical theatre, circus and a new Sensasian zone celebrating South Asian arts and culture.

  
  Love history? There’s a Viking Re-enactment at Stafford Castle (15/08 & 16/08), with aggressive battle re-enactments, authentic living-history encampments, and ancient trade craft displays; admission free; children’s Viking Longboat workshop £5. Feeling crafty? Book onto the Bottle Oven Skyline Needle Felting, (31/08, Spode Museum) where you can pay homage to our heritage by learning to needle-felt the city’s iconic bottle oven architecture.

  
  Into September, there’s the Staffordshire Vegan Festival at The Verve (27/09, 10.30am-4.30pm), where you can sample plant-based street food from around the globe and explore sustainable lifestyle brands; tickets £5, VIP £15. If you haven’t visited yet, the Staffy Trail, a collection of heritage and art trails in and around Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford and Tamworth town centres, is on until 19/07.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

🗞️ Stoke Libraries Launch Free Digital Newspaper Service: Library members can access up to six newspapers daily, including The Sentinel, The Guardian & Metro
🏗️ Jonathan Gullis Faces Reform Backlash Over Local Plan: It has since passed, but not without plenty of controversy and splits within the party…
🌈 Community Speaks out on Pride Display Removal: Still getting lots of reads

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):

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Sunrise 13/07: 04.59 ☀️ Sunset 13/07: 21.30 🌅

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Less than two months after taking control of Newcastle Borough Council, leader Jonathan Gullis is facing one of the biggest tests of his leadership as councillors prepare to vote on the borough's controversial Local Plan tomorrow. While Gullis says the council may have little legal choice but to adopt it, the recommendation has triggered criticism not only from opposition parties and campaigners but also from Reform councillors in some of the areas most affected by the proposals.

In defending the plan, Gullis’s central argument is that Reform inherited it after the independent planning inspector had finished examining it, leaving no opportunity to rewrite it. He is recommending that it is approved at Full Council today (8 July) because it’s already passed through years of consultation and independent examination. He added that failing to adopt it could leave the borough without an up-to-date planning framework and increase the risk of speculative development.

Gullis has said that if Reform had drafted the Local Plan from the outset it would have "done some things differently, including certain site allocations and burdensome regulations we do not believe should have been included", but argues the council inherited the document after the examination process had finished, leaving councillors with a choice between adopting it or risking speculative development.

The disagreement has exposed divisions within Reform itself. In Audley, the proposed site of AB2, construction of six logistics and distribution warehouses and 200-space HGV lorry park is planned, all three Reform borough councillors – Rhys Machin, Patricia Harrison and Janice Sain-Reiners – have issued a joint public statement, which says, “We will not vote for a plan that places further pressure on our local communities when we believe those concerns have not been properly answered.”

And in Mow Cop & Newchapel, Reform councillors Jonathan Downs and Scott Stevenson have since announced they will vote against the Local Plan after previously supporting it, saying they had listened to residents' concerns.

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🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, and welcome to The Knot's weekly round-up of good news from around the region, designed to start your week with a little positivity.

From Broadway shops to the local library, residents, businesses and community organisations in Meir North are being invited to help shape the area’s future following a £20 million investment through the Government’s Pride in Place programme.

Meir North wasn’t selected at random. It was chosen because it faces significant challenges, including high levels of deprivation and weaker community infrastructure, such as fewer community organisations, facilities and local meeting places than many other neighbourhoods.

Now, from supporting local shops and improving GP access to repairing pavements, creating more community events and investing in parks and public spaces, residents have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help decide how that funding is spent.

What would you spend £20 million on in Meir North? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

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Good News 🎉

• 🏗️ Plans for Meir North. Newly appointed Meir North Pride in Place Board chair Catherine Kilvington will work with fellow board members and the local community to help decide how £20 million of government funding is invested over the next decade. Better public spaces, tackling anti-social behaviour, improvements to local shopping areas and youth projects are just some of the ideas that could benefit. A former broadcaster with Signal 1, Kilvington brings more than 10 years' experience in leading projects, managing change and bringing communities together. Fancy getting involved? There’s more info here.

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☕️ THE KNOT’S PEOPLE OF THE WEEK – Sandra and Clyve Baddeley ☕️

Here at The Knot, we love a good coffee – and we know that you do, too, as every time we write about new cafes, we get plenty of clickthroughs! That’s why we’re chuffed to hear there’s a fresh spot for a brew called Biddulph Baristas, which is handily situated right on the high street. Owned by couple Sandra and Clyve Baddeley, it serves up lattes, smoothies, milkshakes, and home-made baked goodies, with recent offerings including a raspberry, coconut and lemon cake and gluten-free chocolate cake. Fancy dropping in? It's open 9am–4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am–1pm on Wednesday, and 10am–5pm on Saturday.

• 🖼️ Enjoy Art Outdoors. A new outdoor exhibition, Past Times, has opened in Bethesda Gardens, with life-sized artworks exploring everyday life across the generations through large-scale reproductions of paintings from the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery’s collection. A life-size portrait of Josiah Spode II, works by acclaimed British and Irish artists John Currie, Roderic O’Conor and Ethel Gabain, and paintings by Stoke-born artist June Burnett are among the highlights of the show. It’s free to visit until 31 January 2027.

• 📚Stoke Libraries Launch Free Digital Newspaper Service. Local library members can now read six daily newspapers for free, thanks to a new digital newspaper service available through the BorrowBox app. The ePress service offers access to the latest editions of the Sentinel, Staffordshire Newsletter, The Guardian, the i newspaper, Daily Mail and Metro. Newspapers are available on the day they are published, and back copies can also be browsed 24 hours a day. Want to give it a try? There’s more info here.

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• 🐝 Stoke Bid to Become Bee-Friendly City. Stoke-on-Trent has launched a bid to become a Bee Friendly City, with plans to create a network of pollinator-friendly spaces across the city. A bottle kiln-shaped bee hotel has already been installed at the new Potters' Patch community garden in Hanley, while other projects in the pipeline include wildflower meadows at Stoke Minster and Berryhill Fields, a bee-friendly community garden at Smithfield, and a dedicated wildlife area at Longton Park. Want to find out more? Head to the Bee Friendly City event at Burslem Park on 1 August (time TBC), or read more about the initiative here.

• 😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. What happens when football and fairy tales collide? Footy Fairy Tales has the answer, with live music and performances across local libraries (10/08, Newcastle Library, 10.30am; Kidsgrove Library 2.30pm; 18/08 Stone Library, 10.30am and Stafford Library 2.30pm), tickets £3 for the first child, 50p for any siblings, and adults and under 3s go free.

  
  Check out Saints in the Summer Music Festival (23/07-26/07) at All Saints Church, Leek, with acts including ABBA tribute REVIVAL (tickets £20) and Britain’s Got Talent star Denise Leigh (tickets £15). There’s free family storytelling with Tales in the Park at locations including Tunstall, Hanley and Fenton (28/07-14/08, 11am-3pm), admission free.

  
  Burslem History Club is hosting The Quest for Arthur Berry’s Biddulph this Wednesday (08/07) at 7.30pm; tickets £3 (pay on the door). Tunstall’s Great Bear Gallery is hosting an art exhibition, Greetings from the Gallery, (01/08 & 02/08, 10am-6pm), a postcard-sized takeover of original artworks by local artists; admission is free.

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Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):

Mon ⛅️ 23° (15°) Tue 🌧️ 23° (14°) Wed ☀️ 27° (15°) Thu 🌧️ 29° (16°) Fri ☁️ 27° (15°)
Sat 🌧️ 27° (14°) Sun 🌦️ 27° (14°).

Sunrise 06/07: 04.51 ☀️ Sunset 06/07: 21.35 🌅

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