Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent (or simply, Stoke) is a city in England, approximately half-way between Birmingham and Manchester. It shares a border with the affluent town of Newcastle-under-Lyme, and the separation is most evident at Boundary Street in Hartshill. Despite this, the two places are often very much considered to be one large city.

Stoke-on-Trent is historically renowned for its pottery industry (hence its nickname of The Potteries). Although the industry has suffered from cheap foreign imports and is now in decline, many of the major manufacturers of high-quality pottery still have headquarters in the area including Spode, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton. There are numerous factory shops dotted around the city, including the Potteries Shopping Centre, in Hanley.

• Gladstone Pottery Museum, Uttoxeter Road, Longton, ST3 1PQ, +44 1782 237777. A popular tourist spot for all the family and features numerous activities including a chance to see the famous bottle kilns of the city.
• Burleigh. Also very popular, one of the last remaining fully working family-run Victorian potteries.
• Trentham Gardens, Stone Road, Trentham, ST4 8JG, +44 1782 646646. A large public park area served by bus routes from the city centre (Hanley). There is a small admission charge, but various activities are available there such as a petting zoo and children's adventure playground. Depending on the weather it is also possible to rent boats and jet-skis for fun on the expansive lakes and the natural beauty of the Gardens can be exquisite. "The Monkey Forest" has free-ranging Barbary macaques. Trentham Treetop Adventure offers over 30 exciting treetop obstacles from mid-air jumps, knee wobbling tight ropes. Garden day tickets: adult £12, seniors and students £10, child (5-15) £9, disabled persons £8 (accompanying carer free), child (4 and under) free, evening day ticket (available Su-F from 5PM) £6. monkey forest tickets: adults: £8.50, seniors and students £8, children (3 to 14), £6.50, disabled/carers, £5.50, under 3 years old free. Trentham treetop adventures (online/at the door): adult £25.20/£28.00, child (under 16- Minimum height 1.4m/4ft 7) £21.60/£24.00, family (2 adults, 2 children £85.50/£95.00.
• City Museum and Art Gallery, Bethesda Street, City Centre, ST1 3DW, +44 1782 232323. Well worth a visit, housing a world-class ceramics collection and also a preserved Spitfire, in memory of its designer, Reginald Mitchell, a native of Stoke. Free.

Gladstone Pottery Museum, Uttoxeter Road, Longton, ST3 1PQ, +44 1782 237777. A popular tourist spot for all the family and features numerous activities including a chance to see the famous bottle kilns of the city.

Burleigh. Also very popular, one of the last remaining fully working family-run Victorian potteries.

Trentham Gardens, Stone Road, Trentham, ST4 8JG, +44 1782 646646. A large public park area served by bus routes from the city centre (Hanley). There is a small admission charge, but various activities are available there such as a petting zoo and children's adventure playground. Depending on the weather it is also possible to rent boats and jet-skis for fun on the expansive lakes and the natural beauty of the Gardens can be exquisite. "The Monkey Forest" has free-ranging Barbary macaques. Trentham Treetop Adventure offers over 30 exciting treetop obstacles from mid-air jumps, knee wobbling tight ropes. Garden day tickets: adult £12, seniors and students £10, child (5-15) £9, disabled persons £8 (accompanying carer free), child (4 and under) free, evening day ticket (available Su-F from 5PM) £6. monkey forest tickets: adults: £8.50, seniors and students £8, children (3 to 14), £6.50, disabled/carers, £5.50, under 3 years old free. Trentham treetop adventures (online/at the door): adult £25.20/£28.00, child (under 16- Minimum height 1.4m/4ft 7) £21.60/£24.00, family (2 adults, 2 children £85.50/£95.00.

City Museum and Art Gallery, Bethesda Street, City Centre, ST1 3DW, +44 1782 232323. Well worth a visit, housing a world-class ceramics collection and also a preserved Spitfire, in memory of its designer, Reginald Mitchell, a native of Stoke. Free.

• Festival Park. Has a wealth of activities. There is a ski slope and toboggan run, ten-pin bowling, a large cinema, shopping, a canalside pub, Waterworld, a four-star hotel, and a large park created from the site of the National Garden Festival.

Stoke-on-Trent has a thriving gay community and the city centre features several bars and nightclubs aimed at the gay and lesbian individuals. The Three Tuns and the adjoining The Club are two of the most renowned gay venues in the city along with Bar Monique. They can be found east of Hanley Bus Station travelling towards Bucknall. Other bars and clubs include Pink Bar and Lounge, Number 3, Blush Cabaret Bar andthe Waterboard.

There is a large purpose-built skateboarding park at Forest Park.

• Watch football ie soccer at Stoke City FC. They play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Their stadium, capacity 30,000, is on Stanley Matthews Way ST4 4EG, off A50 and ring-road 5 miles southeast of city centre.

There are numerous theatres in the city. Also the university campus (near Stoke railway station) has a public arts cinema that shows intelligent films.

• The Queens Theatre, Wedgwood St, Burslem, ST6 4JH, +44 1782 825800.
• The Regent, Piccadilly, ST1 1AP.
• Mitchell Art Centre, 40 Broad St, ST1 4HG.
• Victoria Hall, Bagnall St, Hanley, ST1 3AD.
• New Vic, Etruria Rd, Basford, ST5 0JG, +44 1782 717962.
• Repertory Theatre, Leek Rd, ST4 2TR, +44 1782 209784.

The Queens Theatre, Wedgwood St, Burslem, ST6 4JH, +44 1782 825800.

The Regent, Piccadilly, ST1 1AP.

Mitchell Art Centre, 40 Broad St, ST1 4HG.

Victoria Hall, Bagnall St, Hanley, ST1 3AD.

New Vic, Etruria Rd, Basford, ST5 0JG, +44 1782 717962.

Repertory Theatre, Leek Rd, ST4 2TR, +44 1782 209784.

Near to Stoke are the following.

• Alton Towers, Farley Ln, Alton, ST10 4DB, +44 871 222 3330. The UK's largest theme park.
• Biddulph Grange Garden. The National Trust
• Consall Hall Gardens, Hall Gardens Consall, ST9 0AG, +44 1538 422033. Consall Hall landscaped gardens are nearby and in a beautiful setting.
• Keele University Arboretum.
• Peak District National Park.

Alton Towers, Farley Ln, Alton, ST10 4DB, +44 871 222 3330. The UK's largest theme park.

Biddulph Grange Garden. The National Trust

Consall Hall Gardens, Hall Gardens Consall, ST9 0AG, +44 1538 422033. Consall Hall landscaped gardens are nearby and in a beautiful setting.

Keele University Arboretum.

Peak District National Park.

Festival Park. Has a wealth of activities. There is a ski slope and toboggan run, ten-pin bowling, a large cinema, shopping, a canalside pub, Waterworld, a four-star hotel, and a large park created from the site of the National Garden Festival.

Watch football ie soccer at Stoke City FC. They play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Their stadium, capacity 30,000, is on Stanley Matthews Way ST4 4EG, off A50 and ring-road 5 miles southeast of city centre.

The main shopping facilities are to be found in Hanley the City centre of Stoke-on-Trent. One would be able to find the usual high street stores and includes the second largest Primark in the United Kingdom.

The main shopping attraction for Stoke-on-Trent is the factory shops of the pottery companies. Only Portmeirion, Wedgwood, Dudson and Emma Bridgewater continue to manufacture pottery in the city, and the factory shops can offer heavy discounts on what will be called "second quality" goods, that often have only very minor defects that are frequently very difficult to tell from the main shop goods. Otherwise, shopping is not something that one would come to Stoke-on-Trent for. The city centre of Hanley offers nothing that cannot be found elsewhere. However it still offers a wide range of stores which would fulfill the needs of any traveller with needs of supplies.

Most pottery factory shops will offer a postal delivery service, so that one does not have to carry fragile or heavy items onto a plane when returning home.

Stoke-on-Trent is renowned for a delicacy known as the Staffordshire Oatcake and many Oatcake shops can be found throughout the city. The oatcake resembles a pancake in look and is a mix of flour, oatmeal, salt, yeast and water. It is often served with melted cheese and a choice of either (or all!) sausage, bacon and tomatoes.

The pubs of Burslem are renowned, and The Leopard and The Bull's Head Inn are to be recommended as authentic English pubs.

• The Leopard, 21 Market Pl, ST6 3AA, +44 1782 819644.
• The Bull's Head, 14 St John's Square, ST6 3AJ, +44 1782 834153. M-Tu: 3PM-11PM, W-Th: 3PM-11:30PM, F-Sa: noon-midnight, Su: noon-11PM.

The Congress Inn in the Longton area is a nice friendly real ale pub with a large choice of good beers, as is The Malt & Hops in Fenton.

• The Congress Inn, 14 Sutherland Rd, ST3 1HJ, +44 1782 596246. noon-midnight.
• Malt-N-Hops, 295 King St, ST4 3EJ, +44 1782 313406. 2PM-11PM.

Monday Night is student night in Hanley and students from Staffordshire and Keele Universities and many other young people from the region converge on the city centre. Many of them are chain pubs, with The Reginald Mitchell (JD Wetherspoon), Walkabout, Chicago Rock Café and Reflex all represented and popular with the locals at weekends. There do remain some traditional pubs in the centre, all of which have been somewhat battered over the years by the chain venues.

• The Reginald Mitchell, Tontine St, ST1 1NQ, +44 1782 281082.

Most people wanting to stay out for the night will finish their evenings in either Liquid (around £5 entry), which features mainstream music or, the slightly further away Underground which specialises in rock/indie music and sometimes has live acts. This costs £2 to enter on a Monday, and four quid on a Saturday. Cans of Red Stripe lager will set you back around three pounds.

The Leopard, 21 Market Pl, ST6 3AA, +44 1782 819644.

The Bull's Head, 14 St John's Square, ST6 3AJ, +44 1782 834153. M-Tu: 3PM-11PM, W-Th: 3PM-11:30PM, F-Sa: noon-midnight, Su: noon-11PM.

The Congress Inn, 14 Sutherland Rd, ST3 1HJ, +44 1782 596246. noon-midnight.

Malt-N-Hops, 295 King St, ST4 3EJ, +44 1782 313406. 2PM-11PM.

The Reginald Mitchell, Tontine St, ST1 1NQ, +44 1782 281082.

Stoke-on-Trent as a whole is a safe city. As with anywhere care must be taken especially at night, avoid walking alone in dark places. However, if you wish to sample the nightlife, there's no need to avoid the city centres: simply show the same common sense as you would elsewhere, for example by sticking with a group of friends. As with the rest of the UK, in any emergency call 999 or 112 (from a land-line if you can) and ask for Ambulance, Fire or Police when connected. It is free to call the Emergency Services from Payphones.

The locale of Stoke-on-Trent makes it ideal to visit other cities in the Midlands and North-West of England. While the city in itself suffers from a long period of industrial neglect and might not be immediately visually appealing, the surrounding areas of countryside are especially pleasant. The Peak District National Park can easily be reached from Stoke-on-Trent, either by catching the Sheffield-bound bus from Hanley Bus Station, or by catching a train to Edale or other place in the Hope Valley, with a change at Manchester.

Birmingham can be reached on the M6 motorway heading southbound and takes roughly an hour to reach. There are hourly train services most of the day that cost about £12 return and in fifty minutes take one right into the heart of Birmingham (at New Street Station) with its Bull Ring Shopping Centre which features around 140 stores and is one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Birmingham is home to Aston Villa Football Club, one of the oldest in England and one of the founders of the football league. Their stadium, Villa Park, lies on the outskirts of the city in Aston. They share a healthy rivalry with the more centrally located Birmingham City Football Club based at St. Andrews stadium.

Heading northbound on the M6 Motorway one can reach Manchester, the UK's third largest city (behind London and Birmingham) which is excellent for shopping and sightseeing. It also has one of the biggest gay and lesbian communities in the country. As with Birmingham, Manchester is roughly an hour away by car and cheap train fares are available which will take you right into the centre of the city. Old Trafford is the home of the world-renowned Manchester United Football Club and tours of the ground are available.

Liverpool is another location that is easily accessible from Stoke-on-Trent, being slightly north of Manchester and roughly a ninety minute journey by car. Cheap rail fares are available but often require a train change along the way and consequently can take up to two hours to reach. Liverpool is famous for its docklands, museums and being the home of The Beatles. It is also the home of the historic Liverpool Football Club.

The historic city of Nottingham lies to the east of Stoke-on-Trent and once again is easily accessible by car or train. Many coach operators run regular services to Nottingham taking around ninety minutes to two hours and details are available from the tourist information office at Hanley Bus Station. Nottingham is a city renowned for its beauty and medieval architecture and Robin Hood enthusiasts will find much to do there.

The county town of Stafford is a place to visit to sample traditional British life and culture. It is around twenty minutes from Stoke-on-Trent via car or train and bus services take around forty minutes from Hanley Bus Station. Stafford is known for its magnificent parks, architecture and its bustling yet traditional high street.