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Published: August 22nd 2007
Stoke-on-Trent
Two bottleneck kilns still standingHere's the follow up of my trip to Great Britain in March and April 2007... I got stuck in Carlisle on the north west coast of England for a week. My idea was to visit potters driving along the way throughout Britain.
I left
Carlisle on Friday around 4pm with cash pounds and pens in my pocket heading south to a place known for its ceramic industry. John, the expat friend with a house in the village where I live in France, had explained to me that
Stoke-on-Trent was actually a conglomerate of several towns. He had scribbled in my michelin edition 2007 map of Great Britain and Ireland that I should visit
Hanley, Fenton, Burslem and Longton.
The electric kiln in my pottery studio (berryhobby.blogspot.com) is tagged Potterycrafts Ltd, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. I was keen to know where it actually came from.
With these names in mind I headed south full speed on the M6 motorway. Eventually arrived in the nebulous surroundings at 7pm and looked for a place to stay the night. At a petrol station a lady was very helpful drawing a mini map for me where I could find a... not so cheap hotel. I
Stoke-on-Trent (2)
A solid brick building for a car park found the place after driving in circles for a while, going past the same odd places twice, returning to where I had started from, and so on. The place is a maze!
The next day early Saturday morning I managed... again after a few miles driving in circles, to find the Stoke-on-Trent centre of town, the public library, a car park and even the ceramic industry museum. At the tourist office within the public library they gave me a tourist map and they drew arrows to the sites I wanted to visit, one of them being the Wedgwood factory. Walking around I lost the map without realising it. A four wheel drive pulled up next to me while I was taking one of these silly tourists photos and a man with a smile handed it back to me... Nice folks in Stoke!
At the museum I spent quite some time and learnt quite a few things. Namely where the expression 'pot holes' came from. It takes me back to Australia where I lived as a young married woman in the 1960's. 'Pot hole' was a new word for me then. There were plenty of them on the autralian
Stoke-on-Trent (3)
Down town early one morning dirt roads I drove on. Well... it came from Stoke-on-Trent where in the 19th century farmers cum potters used to dig a bit of clay here and there, anywhere, just enough to throw a pot or two to add a bit of cash in their earnings. It wrecked the roads and the landscape. So much so that a bill was passed one day making it compulsory to fill up the damn holes the wretched potters used to dig everywhere!
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Deliang Lu
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Sweet Memories
I lived in Stoke on Trent from Sep. 2008 to Sep. 2009. I am a government officer in China. I was dispatched and studied MBA in Staffordshire University from 2008 to 2009. Stoke on Trent leaved me impressive memories for its peace and harmony, fresh air and bone china culture. I have been lived the sweet memories when I studied in Stoke on Trent. The photos arouse my sweet memories for Stoke on Trent. Thank you.