Reclaiming Hanley
What's going on up 'anley, Duck? Many big chains may have moved out, but they've made space for local independent businesses to set up shop, says Mel Osbourne
Hanley town centre has long been known as the heart of Stoke-on-Trent, and images from 30 years ago show a thriving high street (who can remember the pic ‘n’ mix at Woolworths, or shopping at C&A?) and a busy nightlife populated by clubs including Regimes, The Place, Valentino’s, and Club Kinetic. However, due to the shift towards online shopping, the town is no longer what it once was, with many shops standing empty and a distinct lack of footfall.
In post-covid Britain, some social media accounts depict Hanley as a place awash with drug addicts, homeless people, and no shops. I find this somewhat frustrating. I’ve been visiting Hanley since the 90s when I first arrived in the area as a student from a big city. Without a doubt, there are certainly many areas for improvement. But are we being unfair to our own town, and if so, how do we go about reclaiming Hanley and making it the town it once was?
How much substance do these comments have, and surely we are all responsible for the growth of a city? How do we reclaim Hanley, have pride in our city, and keep the business in Stoke-on-Trent? This is something Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID has been working on for some time. Its five-year business plan lists clean-up campaigns, CCTV cameras, and security in the area to help visitors feel more secure. Then there’s the new mural on Marsh Street by Rob Fenton and Alastair Burnett, which not only adds a welcome splash of colour but has also become something of a talking point. The multi-million-pound Etruscan Square regeneration, a mixed-use site featuring residential units, commercial space, a hotel, and an arena, will also help put Hanley back on the map, with construction set to begin in 2027.
“BID’s five-year business plan includes clean-up campaigns and artwork to brighten up the area.”
While some may claim Hanley is dead, Hilton Hotel Garden Inn welcomed approximately 50,000 guests in 2024 from 55 different countries, overwhelmingly from people travelling to the city on business and for conferences, plus football fans coming to watch their team take on Stoke City or Port Vale, as well as families visiting Alton Towers, Waterworld, and Monkey Forest, and visitors staying over to attend shows at venues including Regent Theatre and Victoria Hall, says director of sales and Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID board director, Steve Alty. On the day I visited, staff from The National Gallery were just leaving, having visited the artwork they have displayed at Bethesda Chapel. Guests book rooms up to a year in advance depending on the events, he adds.
He elaborated, “50,000 people have 50,000 reasons to say here,” no mean feat for a town that is all too often written off as having nothing going on. The recent centenary celebrations have also been a selling point for the hotel, with companies more eager to come and stay and get involved in the buzz of the city. Sitting within the contemporary confines of Restaurant Six, which serves up a breakfast buffet plus lunch and dinner and boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and and an abundance of plants, you could be at a hotel anywhere in the country.
While some big chains may have moved out of the city centre – we’ve seen Debenhams, M&S, Top Shop, and Miss Selfridge all leave in the last four years – this has left space for local brands to set up shop, something Andy Nixon from Yellow by Keep it Local has been instrumental in. During covid, he began celebrating local brands on his Instagram account. Five years later, Nixon has ditched his day job and is running several Keep it Local businesses. It started as a pop-up shop in the Potteries selling pieces from local artisans. Last Christmas, they took over the Next units and shoppers could pick up everything from t-shirts to artisan soaps from local brands to support local businesses. They are currently based in the old Peacocks store.
Nixon’s passion for the area shines through. “When I’m in Hanley I’m at home,” he says. While chatting to Andy, I met Sid Wayne, a vintage record and merchandise seller with a passion for Motown and his hometown who has a presence inside Yellow by Keep it Local in the Potteries Centre. Sid’s pride and positivity shone through as he spoke about the thriving music scene in Hanley.
Nixon has big plans for Keep it Local and shared his ambition to recreate Stoke’s answer to Manchester’s legendary indie market Affleck’s in the area. This could certainly be the answer for Hanley. While it’s true that we have lost a number of major chains over the years, they are being replaced by independent shops selling bespoke products. More established options include music shop The Rhythm House on Hope Street, the Cycle Repair Centre just off the Cultural Quarter, and independent bookshops like Vellichor. Over at Hanley Indoor Market, the fresh fruit and veg store is always packed, as are independent cafes and restaurants over on Piccadilly, including the Guardian-acclaimed Little Dumpling King and Mexican restaurant Fiesta.
Selling candles, crystals, tarot, and more, The Little Magic Corner Shop on Stafford Street has been open for two-and-a-half years. The owner, Dan Baker, from Abbey Hulton, runs a busy shop. On the day I visited, there was a steady stream of customers popping in, and I was interested to discover the hot weather had caused a black candle shortage. Baker said he finds Hanley is underrated and loves running the shop there, never encountering any concerns from customers regarding safety.
“To forge the future we want, we need to encourage and support small businesses on
the high street as much as we can”
Mitch Hughes, Vellichor Books
Indie offering Vellichor Books opened in Hanley 18 months ago as a vintage bookshop and has since grown into a thriving community. It’s the perfect place to escape for a quiet filter coffee, with space to study and work. Owner Mitch Hughes, who is from Fenton, frequently holds book signings (there’s one coming up this Saturday for local writer Chris Norris), game nights, and storytelling sessions.
Hughes is passionate about rebuilding Hanley. “To forge the future we want, we need to encourage and support small businesses on the high street as much as we can. We need to honour where we have come from but not get stuck there.”
When gaming cafe/store Geek Retreat closed unexpectedly earlier this year, ex-staff member Angela Poole was quick to replace what had been lost in the gaming community and set up Potteries Gaming, which has since become a thriving community for board game enthusiasts.
She said, “I didn’t want to lose the community Geek Retreat had created. This is a safe space for many people and it is needed. We offer support when we can and support local artists by selling their products on a commission basis.”
So, what is the answer? Is Hanley a lost cause or are we at grassroots level for a rebirth? The key is to stop comparing ourselves with major cities such as Birmingham and Manchester but focus on community and creating a safe space where both shopping basics and local brands to be proud of can be accessed on our doorstep.
About the author, Mel Osbourne
Freelance writer Mel Osborne came to Staffordshire University in 1995 from a rural village outside Birmingham. After graduating from Film, TV and Radio studies in 1998, she decided to stay in Stoke and still lives here today with her husband and teenage children. Mel writes for various local publications and has been a theatre reviewer for the past 10 years. She is also a professional actor and theatre maker with a passion for art education. In her spare time, she enjoys long mystery walks with her pet dog.
.
Have something to say about Mel’s story, or your views on the future of Hanley? Leave your comments below!
It would be great to see Hanley as a place of genuine regeneration. Longton exchange has been a success story- fingers crossed for Hanley
There’s no going back now to high volume footfall and there’s 20+ towns/smaller cities in the midlands & the North in a similar boat. Reasons range from online sales/home deliveries, covid, Brexit, cost of living crisis plus an negativesidentity issue which Hanley has. (More so amongst locals than outsiders - or so it sometimes feels!) One idea I sent to Staffordshire & S-O-T tourism offices about a year ago was a Staffordshire 100 circular trail. (Borrowing the idea from Scotland’s north coast 500 route) Somour’s would entail tourists driving cycling running or walking an approx 100 mile route and taking in a number of optional stops such as the potteries, Uttoxeter racecourse, former Bass brewery Burton, Alton towers, Cannock Chase, Lichfield Cathedral, Drayton Manor Park, Stafford the county town, Stone canal town etc etc Yep - you’ve guessed it! - no reply!