Bringing Pottery Back to the Potteries
There's a new pottery firm in town, seven new bus routes, and a fab new family-friendly venue in Trentham we're excited to check out with quizzes and live music.
Good News 🎉
☕️ Introducing Sustainable China From Sipp of Stoke. There’s a new ethical, sustainable fine bone china mug company in town, Sipp of Stoke. Founded by Stokie Sam Wilcox, each mug is crafted in the Duchess China works, passing through 26 skilled pairs of hands before it’s ready to leave. Mugs are crafted using locally sourced materials and the packaging is eco-friendly. Chose from the Classic Fern (pictured below), Midnight Fern and Wild Fern in three different sizes: The Burslem (standard), The Trentham (taller, slimmer) and The Hanley (a shorter, wider mug).
🏘️ Housing Providers Tackle Living Standards. A new charter that promises better living conditions for tenants has been launched. The city council has been working with registered providers across the city to help ensure all tenants can live in safe, well-maintained homes and neighbourhoods. The charter can be viewed here.
🏗️ New Business Park Planned for Vacant Allotment. New developments afoot! A planning application has been submitted to build 17 commercial units on vacant land off Brocksford Street, Fenton. The site is slated to have 36 full-time members of staff.
⛳️ The Star at Cotton Expands into Whiston Hall Estate. The popular pub near Oakamoor has taken on Whiston Hall Estate Golf & Country Club. Set in 180 acres, it boasts a nine-hole golf course, hotel and a bar/restaurant, The Herdsman.
🚌 Seven New Bus Routes Introduced. The new services are 9A (Tunstall – Mill Hill – Bradeley – City Centre)on D&G Bus; 19/19A (City Centre – Sneyd Green) on Stanton’s of Stoke; 21 (City Centre – Stoke – Trentham) on First Potteries; 22 (Longton – Blurton – Trentham – Royal Stoke University Hospital – Newcastle) on D&G Bus; and 43 (City Centre – Milton – Baddeley Green) on First Potteries. There are also additional early morning buses on weekdays on the 6A (Blythe Bridge – Meir Park – Meir – Longton – City Centre) from First Potteries, later evening buses on the 11 (Longton – Stoke – Newcastle) on D&G Bus and a new hourly Sunday service for the 22 (Longton – Blurton – Trentham – Royal Stoke University Hospital – Newcastle), which is another route served by D&G Bus.
🤹♀️ New Venue HighTales Opens in Trentham. A family-led site offering food and drink and toddler and teen rooms has recently opened. There’s live music every Friday night from 8.30pm and a digital quiz all day Sunday with a prize for first place. There’s also an outdoor pop up cinema showing every month: next up is The Garfield Movie on 16/11 at 10.30am. Catch a magician here on 23/11 and 07/12 from 6.30pm.
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):
Mon ☀️ 11°(3°) Tue ⛅️ 10°(3°) Wed ☀️ 10° (4°) Thu ☁ 10° (5°) Fri ☁ 9°(6°)
Sat ☁ 10°(3°) Sun 🌧️ 6° (0°)
Sunrise 11/11 ☀️ 07:24 Sunset 11/11 🌅 16:20
Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week
💦: How Stoke's Waterways Make the City a Better Place to Live: the region's canal network is spearheading a new cultural and lifestyle revolution, and we love it.
💪 Apprenticeship Opens Doors To Council Career: You were keen to hear about the council’s Open Door voluntary work placement.
🎤 The Knot Life: did you know you can list your events for free at The Knot Life? More and more readers are doing it - get yours on too!
Unsung Heroes ⬇️
🏃♀️ Dave Juggins. The 75 year old gold medal duathlete can run a 5km in 21 minutes.
👗 Anya Parker James. Read about the designer that built a fashion career here.
👨🎨 Ian Parker: Mouth painter Ian has illustrated a kid’s book and is a full-time artist.
🥨 Good Vibes Only: A Word from Helen, Writer at The Knot
At the height of production, Stoke-on-Trent supported around 70,000 ceramics jobs. While our pottery industry is more modest these days, accounting for around 5,000 jobs, thanks to a growing interest in artisan products, the number of small-scale pottery firms is steadily growing. The latest brand to enter the fray is Sipp of Stoke, and we think their Classic Fern Collection mugs will make a stylish early Christmas present to ourselves. Fancy gifting some home-made ceramics this Christmas? Then get along to Kiln at Number 12 at Longton Exchange to throw and paint a pot then relax in their cafe. There’s also a Christmas Table Decoration Workshop on 05/12.
We realise there’s a lot of roadworks going on right now in the city (my personal bugbear is the traffic lights at the top of Meir Heath!). If you want to leave the car at home, there are plenty of new bus routes to consider from D&G, Stantons of Stoke and First Potteries. Check ‘em out!