Towns and Villages

Funky Fact about Stoke...

It has the second oldest football club in the country! Formed in 1863 with its home at the Victoria Ground in Boothen Road, until its recent move a half-mile away to the Britannia Stadium.

Here's what some people had to say about Stoke...

Famous Things:

According to Paul, the most famous thing about Stoke is Stoke City FC... What do you think?... Digger Doug reckons Stoke's most famous things are "Sir Stan, oatcakes, St Peters Churchyard and the folk planted there and Victoria pub when "Mick" was the gaffer".

Good Things:

Big Sandy told us the best thing about Stoke is the "London road sports and social club", Bouldy and David both reckon Trentham Gardens and the Monkey Sanctuary is a great day out, and Gemma suggested Festival Park's the best place to go.

Bad Things:

Bouldy said the constant roadworks are the worst thing about Stoke - (we've had a few more agree with that one!) Gemma says she loves Stoke but "it's got to be number one for most derelict buildings!" and Microphone hates the fact there's "not enough shops".

Joan Aucock
Memories of Stoke.
My grandparents lived all their married lives half way down Lytton Street in a tiny terrace house. You had to walk through the tiny parlour [never used!] to get to the back room. One wall of this was taken up by a black-lead grate, complete with cauldron. On Saturdays we would go to the market and she would buy 2 rabbits then spend most of the day skinning and chopping them. They would then go into the cauldron with root vegetables and this stew would be their meal for the next few days.
My grandfather was an engineer on the "Knotty." He was a drill sergeant with the N.Staffs 5th, a veteran of the Boer War and joined the regiment again in 1914 at the age of 40. He was severely wounded and spent most of the war in hospital and then working in a p-o-w camp in France. While he was away, my grandmother had 2 jobs to support her young family. She took in washing and cooked meals for the "Knotty" workers. There was a building at the end of Lytton St. with several ovens. The workers would drop off their uncooked food before work and go there at lunch time. My mother and her siblings went to St. Peter's school followed by Longton High which was then for girls.
My grandfather used to take a tin jug down to the Railway Inn [Arms?] at the end of the street to buy his ale. I had to wait for him on the bench outside. According to my mother he would never speak about his war-time experiences. I always visit Stoke on my trips back to the U.K. The part of the town that I knew has changed beyond recognition.

Louise
Best thing about stoke is the oatcakes and the people are the most down to earth. We also have an ace accent!!!

Jiminy Saville
It depends what you're into but I reckon the best thing to do in Stoke on Trent is take a trip to the Britannia Stadium to watch the mighty Potters... Come on the Potters!!!

George
I have lived all my life in Stoke and I love the place. Best pubs have to be Gray's Corner and Staff of Life in Stoke itself but there are loads of decent pubs all over the city. There are also good shops in each of the towns too. Always something to do and some place to go.

What do you think about Stoke?

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