- Grim news at Goodyears -
Friday 26th June and the day is off to a sombre note when Secretary WME pauses outside Wolverhampton's Goodyear works on Bushbury Lane. It was announced this week that the factory is set to close, bringing to an end a lengthy association spanning back to 1927. In its heyday over 6,000 workers were employed here making the tyres for which the company became world famous.
- Wedgwood Statue -
To Stoke then, and an early start in readiness for the 07:50 train is safely negotiated without recourse to compensatory cobs, even though the Chairman has collected a rogue hot chocolate instead of his intended black coffee. Members narrowly avoid waiting on the wrong platform before making it on board so that the D9 mobile can get its first emergency charge (of many) of the day. We alight at Stoke Station to be greeted by the statue of Josiah Wedgwood outside the North Stafford Hotel.
- Cycle Hub Camera Call -
We've not even left the station periphery and we're already into marketing action, Mr D9 dutifully posing beside the Cycle Hub albeit bereft of any actual bicycles. A stroll into Stoke town centre allows a look at the Minster church (dedicated to St Peter ad Vincula) followed by the market halls where a mural depicts a dog cheekily taking a liking to his owner's pint!
- Spode -
Breakfast matters are next on the agenda, Secretary WME being fortified by an extra hash brown but still suffering a minor HP sauce explosion. A glimpse of the Portmeirion works on London Road precedes a visit to Spode where we enjoy a wander around the visitor centre, finding out about the process of making ceramics and the skill that goes into decorating fine china.
- Reversing out of Hanley's new bus station -
The Potteries historically comprised six towns and we would be seeing three of them today. From Stoke we caught the number 3 bus to Burslem, passing through Hanley's new bus station en route so that the bald spot could attempt some nifty synchronised reversing manoeuvres. The 3 in full links Madeley and Crewe via Keele, Newcastle, Tunstall and Kidsgrove.
- Vale Park -
Burslem is known as the 'Mother Town' of the Potteries and is home to Port Vale Football Club. Their Vale Park stadium merits a photo or two, as does Burslem Park where ornamental fountains, terraced gardens and the charming Pavilion are definitely worth a look but alas there wasn't a vintage closet for Mr D9's collection.
- Royal Doulton Remains -
Ale options in Burslem include the Post Office Vaults (a compact little pub on the Market Place) and the Leopard (an old hotel with some impressive interior fittings). Pride of place is the Bulls Head, the tap for the local Titanic brewery where the Chairman and Secretary jump aboard a Lifeboat each. Besides the beer, members make sure to investigate poignant reminders of the ceramic industry with Royal Doulton's former Nile Street works followed by three Acme Marls bottle kilns on Bournes Bank.
- Burslem Baldness -
We had been hoping to sample some oatcakes but unfortunately the regional delicacy eluded us (the shop we had in mind had closed at 1 o'clock). We consoled ourselves with a bald spot photo (the Chairman was distracted by some classic 1960s pub architecture) then caught the 29 into Hanley via Festival Park. Alighting by Albion Square, we made a beeline for the old city bus station site which together with the adjacent Hanley Shopping Centre precinct was being used as a location for filming the post-apocalyptic zombie thriller movie 'She Who Brings Gifts'.
- The Coachmakers Arms -
Top target in Hanley was the Coachmakers Arms, a traditional boozer on Lichfield Street that has been threatened with demolition to make way for city centre redevelopment projects. Thankfully the pub has escaped the bulldozer thus far, meaning members can sample the important historic interior with four small rooms and a drinking corridor. We enjoyed a pint of Stone the Crows (Lymestone Brewery) while chatting in the lounge to some of the regulars; fingers crossed the place survives many more years yet!
- Castle Mona -
A near neighbour of the Potteries but independent from it, Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town we were very keen to visit. A ride on the 10 does the job, dropping us off just beyond the centre so that we could track down the Castle Mona. This corner local sits amid backstreet terraces and has a cosy bar and a panelled lounge with a crockery collection. The table skittles was tempting but we opted for the darts, WME Whirlwind winning by 5 legs to 1 although Phil 'the Power' Taylor won't be worried just yet!
- Bald Spot at the Bus Station -
Chairman D9 seemed to be confusing his Newcastles by indulging in renditions of 'Fog on the Lyme' accompanied by the occasional "Why-aye Duck". The Bridge Street Ale House is a micropub where we searched for a ferret but found a Noir Porter, while the Old Bulls Head is a Joules establishment proffering Dark Side of the Moose. This Newcastle certainly made a good impression and it was rather reluctantly that the bald spot was deployed to summon our bus back to Stoke.
- The Glebe Grin -
A final couple of ales make for a fitting finale before we call it a day, so Stoke supplies Plum Porter in the White Star (another Titanic pub) and Slumbering Monk in the Glebe (an elegant Joules place). The train then awaits and we are homeward once more, reflecting on an eventful day of perfect Potteries perlustration. Cheers!
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