A week with very little news.
Most of the time has been spent reorganising our filing system.
Research into the Anglo-Saxon legal system continues. We have been looking at the Christian Church’s role in the administration of justice.
Have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. We’ll see you again next week.
Stoke-on-Trent’s Claybody Theatre is going to stay at The Dipping House on the historic Spode Works site in Stoke-upon-Trent’s town centre.
The theatre has taken a 15-year lease on The Dipping House, which has been its home since 2023. Deborah McAndrew, the theatre’s co-artistic director, said:
We absolutely delighted to have secured the future of the Dipping House.
The Dipping House has proven to be a great space for us and we have already welcomed thousands of visitors who have come to watch our performances and participate in workshops and other events.
In going forward we will continue to collaborate with the City Council to develop the venue for theatre, arts and community events right in the heart of this incredible and historic site at Spode Works.
Friday NewsDesk is a new regular weekly post that will tell you about North Staffordshire Heritage’s activities.
Worldwide interest has been shown in Chatterley Whitfield’s future. The creation of a circular heritage tourist trail linking Burslem, Ford Green Hall, Chatterley Whitfield and Biddulph Grange with Mow Cop and Kidsgrove.
North Staffordshire Heritage is continuing to research Mercia and its legal system. This is a long-term project, which is expected to last for eight or nine months.
Our new series of posts about the Township of Tunstall starts in September, and we will give you more details at the end of August.
We hope you all have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Take care and stay safe. We’ll see you again on Tuesday.
Image of Biddulph Grange Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)
Leek’s Nicholson Institute is looking for people who live in the Staffordshire Moorlands to help shape its future.
If you are enthusiastic about local museums, heritage and culture, this is your chance to help make the Nicholson Museum more vibrant and inclusive.
Since May 2025, volunteers have been meeting to explore how the museum can be given a new image.
Four subgroups have been formed. These are Visitor Experience & Museum Operations, Content Development & Programming, Fundraising & Income Generation and Marketing & Audience Development.
New subgroups are being created to focus on education and the museum shop.
More volunteers are needed to join all these subgroups.
Regeneration experts in the Potteries are delighted that the Heritage at Risk Fund has given £1.5 million to help save Burslem’s Indoor Heritage Market and historic Bethesda Church in the City Centre.
The money will be used to repair the buildings.
If these buildings can be saved, they will make a significant contribution to the growth of North Staffordshire’s heritage tourist economy.
The Lancashire Mining Museum has been given over £360,000 to save its ‘unique’ winding house.
The Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley, Wigan, has been given about £200,000 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The money will be used to safeguard the ‘unique’ winding house, which is a prominent feature in the area.
More money to save the building has been given by the Association for Industrial Archaeology, the Arts Council, Awards for All, the Pilgrim Trust and Wigan Council, making a total of over £360,000.
Opened in 1908, the colliery closed in 1970. A large number of written and photographic records have survived. The site includes a winding headgear, winding engine, colliery cottages and a miner’s canteen.
More details about the museum can be obtained from: https://lancashireminingmuseum.lexington-staging-site.co.uk/visit-
It’s late Friday afternoon. We have come to the end of a busy week. New apps have been installed on the computer, and specialist scanners have been acquired for the office. A major new research project starts on Monday. It will look at life in the Middle Ages, with special reference to the administration of justice. Have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Stay safe.
Once again, Hanley Park has won the prestigious Green Flag Award. The park has received the award for five consecutive years. This confirms its status as one of the best parks in the UK.
Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, the city council’s cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability, said:
“This is a fantastic achievement and a massive credit to the team who care for Hanley Park all year round. They always keep the highest standards. The Green Flag award is a clear sign of their dedication.
“Parks like Hanley are vital places where communities can come together. Congratulations to everyone involved. Your pride in our city can be seen by everyone.”
It’s Friday again. How quickly time flies.
We have had a busy week planning a series of talks and posts about Tunstall’s history. Our plans include talks about Tower Square, the Jubilee Buildings and the Memorial Gardens.
Have a good weekend. Relax and keep safe. We’ll see you again on Monday.
A Post Industrial Picturesque, an exhibition at Newcastle’s Brampton Museum, runs until Sunday 7th September. The exhibition highlights the artist’s response to the fascination of derelict industrial buildings in the urban landscape.
Free Admission. The exhibition is open 10am to 5pm (Tuesday to Saturday), and from 1.30 to 5pm on Sunday.
North Staffordshire Heritage 