£800k Boost Secures Future for Longton Market

Plus padel courts open at Trentham Lakes, Pittshill Pub scoops national heritage award and men's mental health mural goes on display at the University of Staffordshire…

Mar 02, 2026

Good News 🎉

🛍️ Longton Market Revamp is Go! An £800,000 refurbishment that will breathe new life into Longton’s historic indoor market has been secured by MP Dr Allison Gardner following a campaign for extra investment. The funding will be used to plug leaks in the market roof and improve the frontages of the shop units that open onto The Strand in a package of works to the Grade II-listed Victorian building. The scheme is being treated as a priority by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and was confirmed in response to Dr Gardner’s most recent request for funding.

Longton market is set to undergo a big transformation. Pic: Allison Gardner MP Facebook page

📚 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Katye Tilstone 📚

This local author from Stoke-On-Trent will be at Vellichor Books for a live book signing of her latest work, A Taste Of Lace, on 03/04 from 12pm-3pm. Katye says the event isn't just about selling books but bringing neighbours together and experiencing something we may have lost due to our increasing preoccupation with our phones. She adds, “these shops are what keep our community’s unique identity alive and offer a safe space for those who want to enjoy the vintage feel of going into a bookshop and picking out a book instead of going online.” You can purchase Katye’s books, including The Flesh Labyrinth, which explores endometriosis, on Amazon.

Catch local author Katye signing copies of her new book at Vellichor on 03/04

🎾 New Padel Courts Open at Trentham Lakes. Whether you’re still trying to keep that New Year’s Resolution to get fit or simply fancy having a bash at a new sport, why not check out the Powerleague courts at Trentham Lakes? The site features four covered padel courts designed for year-round play, each of which are floodlit and weather-protected. Introductory sessions, private coaching, and social match formats will all help you master the sport.

Book a 60 or 90-minute padel session at Powerleague Trentham Lakes. Pic: Powerleague Facebook page

🖌️ Cool Opps for Artists! The British Ceramics Biennial is commissioning six global majority, disabled, deaf, and/or neurodivergent artists to create new digital artworks exploring the cultural and geographical identity of the Midlands. There’s a £10,000 fee for production and presentation, plus access, travel and tech support. Move quick, as the deadline is 25/03 at 10am; apply and enquire here. Newcastle’s Brampton Museum, meanwhile, is on the lookout for 2D and 3D artworks for its Open Art And Craft Exhibition 2026. Submission dates are 20/03 and 21/03 from 11am-4pm; find out more about conditions of entry here.

🍺 Pittshill Pub Scoops National Heritage Award. The new owners of Victorian boozer the Vine Inn have received the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra)’s national heritage award after restoring the Grade II listed building, which dates back to the 1870s. Since reopening last June, it has become a thriving community pub.

Artist Rob Fenton with his mural at the University of Staffordshire

🙍‍♂️ Men’s Mental Health Mural. A new mural dedicated to men’s mental health has been unveiled at the University of Staffordshire. Created by local artist Rob Fenton, co-artist of the 100 Years 100 Faces Centenary mural, the piece will be located at the university’s new Student Village, due to open this summer. If you’re struggling with mental health issues, or know someone who is, there is help out there. Here’s a list of support services that both men and women can access.

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

I’m writing this from my hotel room in Hong Kong, a place I lived for 12 years and remain proud to call my second home. But while I’ve loved feeling the buzz of an international city, gazing up at skyscrapers under a blaze of neon, the non-stop opportunities to shop (there’s a 7-11 on almost every corner) and taking the tram, I can’t help but miss Stoke, too. I miss the quiet of my village, my garden, and the space, and the friendliness of my fellow Stokies. And while I’ve enjoyed chowing down on endless bowls of noodles and dumplings, I can’t wait to have some oatcakes.

Okay, Stoke will never be Hong Kong, but as I’ve been compiling these newsletters over the past few days, I realise how much there is to look forward to this spring, from the upcoming Friday Feast at Goods Yard (24/04), with food trucks, fizz, and tunes, to events like Staffordshire Moorlands Walking Festival (24/04-04/05), which will showcase the sheer natural beauty of this area with a wander over open moors from Onecote to Butterton and a vertiginous walk around Flash and Three Shires Head among the highlights. And of course, we can’t wait to see how things unfold at Longton Market, too.

Which developments or events are you most looking forward to this spring? Tell us in the comments below!

Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week

😋 A Visual Tribute to Our Beloved Oatcake: Tunstall Tortillas is a coffee table book by Stoke-born photographer that’s dedicated to the good old oatcake. Yum!
☕️ Good Coffee Guide 2026: James’s ace article is still proving popular
🎨 Get Creative with Collage Workshops: Contemporary Collage Magazine will host

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