The Andel – Issue 6, Autumn 2007

ANGELthe

AN UPDATE ON BURSLEM REGENERATION PROGRESS

ISSUE 6 Autumn 2007

Vale Park childcare centre is inleague ofits own

See page five

Page three

Multi-millioncollegeflagshipdevelopment unveiled

Back page

New policehouseopens atMiddleport

Trailblazing facilitybrings family friendlyservices under one roof

Vale Park childcare centre is inleague ofits own

I THOUGHT that the BurslemAngel was smiling when Ilooked up at her yesterday.She had every reason to behappy. Down beneath her wasThe Leopard, the oldest hotelin Staffordshire and the mostelderly pub in Stoke-on-Trent.

The ghosts of Emma andJosiah Wedgwood, and CharlesDarwin lurk in the shadows ofthe, as yet, still derelict upperfloors, but this will change. Anew energy lives inside. Localpeople are enjoyingthemselves in an atmospherewhere the past is ever present.

Just as the business insidethe Leopard is regenerating,things outside its ancient wallsare also moving forward.Already the Mother Town isearning for itself a reputationbeyond its new role as theplace to eat out in Stoke-on-Trent.

Behind the scenes, a newregeneration phase is comingto life. Building on thestrengths of the oldMasterplan, a new BurslemMasterplan is being drawn up.This means that a new visionfor the town is already on thehorizon with ceramics andtourism leading the way. TheBurslem ceramic companiesthemselves are in top form,enjoying a good year.

New houses are filling upwith new owners. Innovativeindustries and businesses aremoving into Burslem, bringingwith them new jobs, new facesand new ideas.

Burslem is visibly changingfor the benefit of its owncommunity.

● Leopard pub featured on TV’s

Most Haunted programme – see

page four.

New energyis replacingthe ghosts

By HughEdwards Chairman ofThe BurslemRegenerationCompany

2 T H E A N G E L

IF you go down to Burslem Park you’re in for a

pleasant surprise… for a £803,000 package of

improvements to the Mother Town’s “green

lung” is almost complete.

The popular amenity has bloomed under the

Greening for Growth programme in which

residents of the town have had a big say through

the local community group Burslem Park

Partnership.

One of the most dramatic additions is a 40 ft

fountain in the lake, while another new feature

that has attracted a lot of attention is a striking 9

ft heritage mosaic that forms the centrepiece of

an attractive seating area overlooking the lake.Groundwork Stoke-on-Trent, one of the City

Council’s Greening for Growth partners, worked

with specialist artist Rob Turner and the people of

the town to decide on the design of the mosaic

which paints a vivid picture of the park’s

importance at the heart of the local community.

Other good things that have happened in the

park include a water cascade feature, a new

children’s playground, three multi-use sports

courts with skating, tennis and five-a-side

facilities, a bicycle stand close to the national

cycleway, signage and disabled parking bays.

Also a lot of general improvement works have

been carried out, such as re-edging and re-

surfacing of walkways, refurbishments to the

paths and steps around the cascade and the

installation of picnic benches.

Funding to improve Burslem Park was secured

through the Greening for Growth programme with

the support of Advantage West Midlands and the

European Regional Development Agency.

Local people admired their new-look park when

they attended a special event to unveil the

heritage mosaic. A host of free activities included

a clown entertainer, face painting, raffles and

displays by the fire and police services.

New lifegushesinto park

New lifegushesinto park

Major restoration work is almost complete

Parkvisitor Harriet

Brown admiresthe newfountain.

T H E A N G E L 3

REGENERATION chiefsaiming to breathe new lifeinto Stoke-on-Trent havehigh hopes for the futureof Burslem.

A team bringing allmajor improvementinitiatives under thebanner of the NorthStaffordshire RegenerationPartnership aims to givethe Burslem RegenerationCompany more “clout”with its own budget anddedicated projectmanagers.

The city’s regenerationteam is headed by TomMacartney, who earned aninternational reputationfor his work in Glasgowand Sunderland. MrMacartney is working tostrengthen the city’s futureregeneration efforts byreviewing all existingprojects to make sure theyachieve maximum benefitsfor the area.

Stoke-on-Trent NorthMP Joan Walley said thismeant putting a temporaryhold on importantschemes in Burslem likethe refurbishment of theWedgwood Institute, but inthe long run it would leadto more co-ordinatedregeneration across thewhole of NorthStaffordshire.

Joan – a member of theBurslem RegenerationCompany board – said:“Previously the companyhas been run bycommitted individuals whoare passionate about thetown but had very littleresource.

“In the future there willbe people in place tomanage a wide range ofprojects, as well as assetsand budgets to make aneven bigger difference inthe town. We will see aregeneration companywith real clout, and that’sgot to be good news forthe town.”

THE BURSLEM campus of

Stoke-on-Trent College is

set for a landmark

redevelopment which “the

whole community can be proud

of.”

A new flagship main building

on Moorland Road will be

backed up by a series of smaller

premises, all situated within a

traffic-free environment.

The plans are the culmination

of the college’s accommodation

strategy, which has already seen

the construction of The John

Seddon Building Technology

Centre.

And the four-year, £400m

project, which also includes

major work at the Cauldon

campus at Shelton, is set to

help provide Stoke-on-Trent with

world class learning resources.

College principal Graham

Moore OBE said: “Our learners

need and deserve new and

inspiring facilities to position

the city among the leading

providers of skills training

locally, regionally and nationally.

“The campus developments at

Cauldon and Burslem are a

‘once in a lifetime’ investment to

improve life opportunities for

all. The college is at the heart of

these communities and the

renewal will be sympathetic to

the locations where they are

sited, while adding something

new and exciting to the local

landscapes.”

Mr Moore said facilities at

Burslem and Cauldon had

reached “the end of their useful

life” and were “in urgent need of

renewal.”

He said: “There will be a

comprehensive and continuous

plan of renewal over the next

four years across our Cauldon

and Burslem campuses to

provide an inspiring and

dynamic learning environment.”

Patrick Wenger, chair of the

board of governor at the college,

said the major focus was on

supporting key areas of the

local and regional economy.

He said: “We will deliver high

quality skills training in health

and social care, construction

and business and professional

services. We are also focusing

on other areas of growing

importance, such as logistics, to

provide our community with the

skills needed to compete in the

21st century.”

Aidan Ridyard, director of

architecture at Broadway

Malyan, said: “This project is

unique. It is a complex

challenge which will change the

landscape of education in

Stoke-on-Trent.

“The design at Burslem

involves a pedestrian space

which links a series of individual

buildings, including a signature

building on Moorland Road. It is

our ambition to make this a

landmark building which the

whole community can be proud

of.” ■

New teamhave highhopes forthe future

Massive investment tocreate flagship collegedevelopment

An artist’s impression of the plannedmulti-million futuristic building at

Stoke on Trent College’sBurslem campus.

4 T H E A N G E L

THE UK’s first children’scentre to be built in afootball stadium is takingshape at Vale Park.

Port Vale have teamed upwith Stoke-on-Trent CityCouncil to provide thetrailblazing centre offering ahuge range of services tolocal families. When itopens its doors at the endof March 2008 the purposedesigned child care facilitywill be in a league of itsown, with a raised balconyplay area at the front of thestand which provides aclose-up view of thehallowed Vale pitch!

Construction is well underway and the outer shell ofthe one-storey Centre,which forms part of the re-developed Lorne StreetStand, is now complete andready to be fitted out.

The £800,000 project hasbeen partly funded with a£245,000 grant fromregional developmentagency Advantage WestMidlands through the NorthStaffordshire RegenerationZone. The remaining costhas been met by £550,000Government.

Adele Eaton, ProjectOfficer with The Early Yearsand Childcare Service said:“The Children’s Centre atBurslem is an ideal locationas Port Vale is at the heartof the community, bothgeographically andsymbolically. “

Innovativechildren’scentre is onschedule

BURSLEM’S Leopard Inn swapped pint mugsfor motion detectors this month when TVshow Most Haunted scoured the pub for arather different kind of spirit.

The two-hour programme, which aired liveon satellite channel Living TV, saw cameracrews wire up the building for a ghost hunt.

Programme-makers approached the pubafter spiritualists claimed to sense asupernatural presence in its cellar, which wasonce used as a mortuary.

Manager Neil Cox said: “Local spiritualistshave explored the premises several timesand said they feel something – or someone –haunting it. This feeling seems to bestrongest down in the cellar, which makessense because a lot of dead bodies havepassed through there.”

The Leopard has hosted several famousfigures in its time as a licensed pub,including industrial pioneers Josiah

Wedgwood and James Brindley as theyplanned the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1765.It also features in a number of ArnoldBennet’s Five Towns novels as “the Tiger”.

More recently, management havediscovered a network of undergroundtunnels, which once led to a brewery andbottling bank over the road. Plans are alsoafoot to refurbish 58 forgotten hotelbedrooms used by travellers in pastcenturies. The tunnels and suites hail fromthe Leopard’s Victorian days as a premierhotel. Management hope to re-open therooms for a new generation of visitors.

The publicity from Most Haunted can onlyraise further the Leopard’s profile as a pubsteeped in history. Neil said: “The Leopard’sbeen around a long time and there’s plenty ofstories locked up in it. I’m sure the attentionit’s had from Most Haunted will bring moreinterested groups through the doors.”

GHOST

TV psychics try to spot spirits at Leopard

Leopard ManagerNeil Cox in the pub’s“forgotten” corridorleading to the oldderelict bedrooms.

HU

NT

Cover pictureOur cover picture shows thestunning Vale Park vistafrom the Children’s Centre,which is currently beingbuilt. Pictured with localyoungsters Rubin Taylor,left, and Daniel Plant, areRachael Bestwick,Staffordshire PartnershipTeam Leader for theregional developmentagency Advantage WestMidlands, and Valemidfielder Shane Tudor.

T H E A N G E L 5

PIONEERING enterprise

units at Vale Park helped

North Staffordshire scoop

the government title of best

place in Britain to start a

business.

The Vale Park Enterprise

Centre is the UK’s first business

start-up facilities to be based at

a football stadium and

impressed judges visiting the

area as part of the Enterprising

Britain contest.

Twenty purpose-built units in

the Lorne Street stand

development offer a perfect

environment for fledgling

companies to start up,

and established

companies to

thrive. The

units range

from 130 sq ft

to 430 sq ft.

Already four of

the larger-sized

high quality

office suites

have been let,

which means

that over a

quarter of the centre’s total

office space is spoken for even

before the centre opens its

doors.

A superb-business back-up

facility comes with a full service

package for tenants, including

high-speed broadband

connection, integrated

telephone system, secure access

entry system, dedicated car

parking and 24/7 access.

Rents include rates, heating

and lighting – in fact everything

except phone bills – and

tenancies are on a flexible “easy

in, easy out” basis.

The enterprises which have

already signed up to base

themselves at the Vale Park

Enterprise Centre are The

Federation of Stadium

Communities, a Burslem-based

national charity dedicated to

improving the quality of life in

neighbourhoods close to

stadiums, Westonia Mortgages,

one of Vale’s sponsors, and

Money Matters, an advisory

service for small businesses.

David Thorley, Port Vale’s

Stand Development Co-ordinator

who will also manage the

Enterprise Centre when it is up

and running, said: “The

Enterprise Centre has been

designed to create the best

possible environment to

incubate new-start enterprises

and help already established

small businesses to grow

further.

“It is an important part of Port

Vale’s strategy to put the club

and its facilities at the hub of the

community and make a strong

contribution to the economic

and social regeneration

of Burslem.”

Success in the national

Enterprising Britain

feature means North

Staffordshire goes

forward to the European

competition later this

year, when results will

be announced in

Portugal.

North Staffordshire

Regeneration Zone Chief

Executive Aktar Choudhury

said: “The Enterprising

Britain award will put North

Staffordshire well and truly on

the map as a tremendously

vibrant enterprise culture and a

great place to start and grow a

business.

“In creating that environment,

with more than 200,000 sq ft of

business premises specifically

for business start-ups, North

Staffordshire Regeneration Zone

has left a legacy which will

continue to benefit the people,

companies and communities of

North Staffordshire for decades

to come.”

Vale enterprisescores first goals Vale enterprisescores first goals Centre helpsNorth Staffsscoop topnationalaward as firstbusinessesmove in

Work on the enterprisecentre on the second tierof the Lorne Street standis now almost complete.

Peter Cooke, right, Enterprise and Innovation Programme Manager for NSRZ, and Vale Chairman Bill Bratt hold the coveted Enterprising Britain award.

6 T H E A N G E L T H E A N G E L 7

THE first companies havemoved into innovativebusiness units in Burslem’sformer Victorian magistrates’courthouse.

Digital photographyspecialist The Image Factoryand Jones and Associates,who have wide-rangingexpertise in ceramicdecoration, moved into theCourthouse, which has beenrefurbished by the NorthStaffordshire RegenerationZone funded by AdvantageWest MIdlands.

The refurbishment is part ofan ongoing plan by theowners of Moorland Potteryto develop derelict buildingsaround their site and attractnew uses.

Moorland PotteryManaging Director John Plantsaid: “The Courthouse hasbeen vacant for nine yearsand it has been our long termaim to develop the site.However, it wasn’t until wegained support from NorthStaffordshire RegenerationZone that the project quicklygained momentum.

“We have been able torefurbish all the existingoffices as well as convert theoriginal caretaker’s residence

to deliver a state of the artfacility with wirelessbroadband for all occupantsand a keyless entry system.

“Our aim is to establish acommunity of complimentarybusinesses in an environmentthat will enable them as wellas ourselves to grow.”

He added that MoorlandPottery were already innegotiations with an internetcompany and several othercreative businesses who wereinterested in occupying theother units in The Courthouse.

Sue Prince, Board memberof Advantage West Midlandssaid: “This is a first-classrefurbishment of one ofBurslem’s most historicbuildings The Court House isan excellent example of abright, modern and sensitiverefurbishment that willappeal to entrepreneurs.”

TUCKED away in the backstreets of

Burslem is a specialist company

which ensures that the

legendary Spitfire fighter

plane can still reach for

the skies more than 70

years after it first took off.

Supermarine Aero

Engineering Ltd is the

world's largest approved

manufacturer of spare parts and

assemblies for the famous RAF

Spitfires which helped to turn the

tide of the Second World War during

the Battle of Britain.

The company, set up by managing

director Mark Harris in 1996, can

supply everything from the smallest

washer to the

complete

aircraft – which,

fittingly, was

originally designed by

Reginald Mitchell who was from

North Staffordshire.

There are currently 61 Spitfires in

the world, with another 10 under

construction, and Supermarine's

database and archives hold the most

extensive drawing list for the aircraft

available anywhere.

General manager Andy Nicklin

said: “Some Spitfires are owned by

individuals, but the vast majority

earn their keep in air displays all over

the world.”

Supermarine have a 24-hour

emergency service for aircraft

grounded during displays and Andy

added: “We operate a one-stop

shop for all parts and services to

enable us to keep our customers

happy and their aircraft in the air.

“With our extensive knowledge of

the Spitfire we are able to answer

most questions and offer advice

about any aspect of the aircraft. We

are the successors to the original

manufacturers.”

An indication of the interest

stimulated by Supermarine became

apparent when local historian Fred

Hughes included a tour of the factory

during Heritage Open Days weekend.

Andy added: “We were expecting

about half a dozen people and 57

came through the doors.

“We aren't really set up to receive

such a number, but it was very nice

to see so many people who were

interested in what we are doing.”

PAST and present rubshoulders in a heritage trailunveiled to draw more

visitors to Burslem. Nine“heritage panels” have beenerected across the town,dispensing nuggets of historythrough text, drawings andphotographs.

Leaflets have been distributed in

Tourist Centres and community venues

around North Staffordshire to promote

the trail, as well as places to eat, drink

and stay in the mother town.

The project was funded by North

Staffordshire Regeneration Zone, City

Council and Burslem businesses.

Pottery company Moorcroft Retail

Sales Director Kim Thompson who was

in the project’s working group, said a

trail was the best way to boost tourism

because it would both inform visitors

about Burslem’s history and help them

find their way around.

“The idea is to raise tourists’ and

investors’ awareness of the wealth of

creative history in Burslem. The town

has iconic buildings and, through this

project, they could become key

Wedgwood attractions.”

As well as commemorating the past,

the project also points to Burslem’s

future, showcasing artwork by pupils

at Burslem’s Primary Schools. Kim

said: “It’s important that the younger

generation are incorporated into their

town’s culture. The project’s not just to

show Burslem’s past creativity but to

foreshadow our achievers of

tomorrow.”

Former president of Burslem

Chamber of Trade Howard Latham said

the trail would act as a tour guide that

never goes off duty. He added:

“Historian Fred Hughes has led some

great walking tours for visitors, but the

trail can act as a guide twenty four

hours a day seven days a week.”

The panels have already proved a hit

with some locals. Shopper Avril

Adshead said the project was a fitting

tribute to Burslem’s history.

She added: “They have a trail like

this in Chester, and our American

friends loved it. If history’s not visible

on the streets then people will pass

through without knowing it’s there.”The panels contrast modern street

plans with maps of the eighteen

century rural settlement they grew

from. This clash of then and now

comes into sharp relief on Market

Place where the town hall’s classical

architecture stands wall-to-wall with

Ceramica’s ultra-modern maze of rails

and girders.

Over the road, Swan Bank boasts

several historic landmarks, including

Burslem Methodist Mission Church

where Arnold Bennet schooled as a

young boy and which features in a

number of his “Five Towns” novels.

The tour continues on Queen Street,

St John’s Square, Burleigh, Moorcroft,

Westport Road and Burslem Park.

History nuggets galore on

heritage trail

The Swan Bank heritage panel which features the BurslemMethodist Mission Church is viewed by resident Charles Mai.

Travel Agent Chris Denhamstudies the heritage panel which

highlights the history of theWedgwood Institute building

pictured in the background.

‘Court’ has appealfor entrepreneurs

Shopper Avril Adshead reads the Market Place panel which tracesthe development of the town back to 1720.

Supermarine Managing Director Mark Harris carriesout renovation work on the Spitfire which is ondisplay at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

Key role in keeping theSpitfire flying

Sue Prince, Advantage West Midlands Board Member, ispresented with a special piece of Moorland pottery tocommemorate her conducting the official opening of theCourthouse Enterprise Centre pictured in the background. Sheis flanked by Andrew James, left, former Projects Manager forNorth Staffordshire Regeneration Zone, and Moorland PotteryManaging Director John Plant.

8 T H E A N G E L

The Angel p8 12/10/07 17:51 Page 1

T H E A N G E L 9

Burslem conference raises employer awareness

EMPLOYERS from all over

North Staffordshire

converged on Burslem to

learn about how they can benefit

from recruiting staff with

disabilities. The conference suite

at Vale Park was the venue for

two seminars attended by a total

of more than 60 local business

leaders.

Both lunchtime get -togethers

were part of a nationwide

programme of similar events to

raise awareness of Realising

Potential, a partnership project

designed by the National

Employment Panel, the

Employers’ Forum on Disability,

the Office for Disability Issues

and Jobcentre Plus.

The informal sessions were

designed to provide a

comprehensive understanding of

the business benefits of being

“disability confident”

employers”– businesses and

organisations who appreciate

the commercial advantages of

providing job and career

opportunities for people with

disabilities.

Highly successful

entrepreneur Rick Williams, who

is blind and an associate of the

Employers’ Forum on Disability,

told delegates how disability

confident organisations can

reduce recruitment costs, recruit

from a wider pool of talent,

provide improved customer care

for everyone, build a brand

reputation and be seen to be in

touch with the communities in

which they operate.

The employers were also told

about the role of Jobcentre Plus

in preparing those on disability

benefits for the world of work

and delivering a streamlined

service that helps them recruit

the right people for the right

jobs.

Marie Clowes-Hackney,

Operations Manager for

Jobcentre Plus in Staffordshire,

said: “ There was positive

feedback from the organisations

represented at the seminars.

“The seminars helped to

dispel the misconception among

many employers that most

people with disabilities are in a

wheelchair or are blind. This is

not the case and very often there

is no need to carry out

alterations to the workplace in

order to accommodate

employees with disabilities.

“The clear message for

employers was that they were

not being asked to be charitable

and employ people because they

have disabilities.

“But by encouraging people

with disabilities to apply for

vacancies in their organisations

they could find that the best

person for the job may just

happen to be disabled.”

Marie added: “Staffordshire

has one of the highest numbers

of people of working age on

incapacity benefits. Two thirds of

those are in North Staffordshire,

so there will be a

proportionately high

number in a town like

Burslem.”

Sarah Emery, Group

Diversity Manager of the

Leek-based Britannia

Building Society, told

delegates at one of the

Burslem seminars how

the Britannia is

encouraging its staff to

be disability confident by

meeting groups of people

with disabilities and

taking part in their

activities.

“This practical

experience is better than

any training package,”

said Sarah. “ It gives staff the

confidence to deal with

customers and colleagues with

disabilities. As an organisation

committed to equality we are

keen to offer career

opportunities to people with

disabilities.”

Craig Johnson, left, Jobcentre Plus Customer Engagement TeamLeader, discusses issues relating to employing disabled peoplewith Manraj Singh, an advisor at the Burslem branch of theBritannia Building Society.

Vital help to recruit staff with

disabilities

Pictured at the Vale Park conference are key note speaker RickWilliams with Julie Carruthers, left, Jobcentre Plus DistrictManager, and Stoke-on-Trent North MP Joan Walley.

AROUND 20 new jobs willcome to Burslem whenpersonnel specialist JuniperTraining relocates to officesat the former Albany Worksin Moorland Road. Thederelict pottery complexhas been refurnished byregeneration charityGroundwork Stoke-on-Trent,which also has its offices inthe old factory.

New jobs atderelict works

10 T H E A N G E L

HAIRDRESSER ChristineLovatt hopes a move ofjust a few short steps tonewly refurbishedpremises will keep her acut above the rest.

Christine was alertedto the possibility whenshe read an article aboutthe gatewayrefurbishment project inlast December’s issue ofThe Angel.

And it took just onetelephone call to get theball rolling for her switchfrom number three to

number seven NewcastleStreet. Christine said: “Iworked at number threeas employee and thenowner for a total of 31years. Those premisesserved their purpose, butI felt I needed to move toimprove.

“I’m delighted with mybright new shop, whichhas cost me only a veryslight increase in rent.The feedback fromcustomers has been 100per cent positive and I’mconfident I can now

attract new clients.”Customer Mary

Chadwick said: “I thinkthe new shop is fantastic.Christine has worked veryhard to prepare thesepremises while keepingher business going.”

The gateway project,funded by the NorthStaffordshireRegeneration Zone,included improvements toshop frontages and otherbusiness premises, givingvisitors a more positiveimage of the town.

BURSLEM hit the nationalspotlight when the historicMiddleport Pottery factory

hosted the BBC’s popular AntiquesRoadshow.

Days before the programme wasscreened to a global audience ofmillions, the victorian pottery wasthe venue for the launch of thenational Heritage Open Daysscheme, which sees hundreds ofhistoric buildings throughout thecountry opened to the public forfree.

Other Burslem Buildingsincluded this year were Port ValeFootball Club and the LeopardHotel in the town centre.

Minister for Culture, CreativeIndustries and Tourism MargaretHodge was guest of honour at thelaunch .

Stoke-on-Trent’s elected mayorMark Meredith said: “The citycouncil is creating in Stoke-on-Trent a vibrant modern citycomprised of an exciting mix ofancient and modern attractions.

“Heritage locations are a vitalpart of our drive to attract touristsand, as demonstrated by thisPottery, also contribute to proudlyupdating the city’s traditionalexpertise in ceramics and making avital contribution to the moderneconomy.

“City council action has savedthe building we are standing in,together with many others inMiddleport.

“Through Middleport TownscapeHeritage Initiative the city councilhas been able to inject £350,000worth of grant into repairing thisGrade 2 star listed potterycomplex.

“As all can see these are not juststatic buildings, but are now avibrant complex producing qualitypottery.”

Pictured at the launch are, left to right, Stoke-on-Trent's Elected Mayor Mark Meredith, ChiefExecutive of English Heritage Simon Thurley, Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent Bagh Ali, MargaretHodge, Chairman of the Civic Trust, Philip Kolvin and Middleport Pottery owners Rosemary andWilliam Dorling.

Factory hitsthe nationalspotlight

Christine cuts a smart move

Minister Margaret Hodge speaking at the national launchof the Heritage Open Day scheme at Middleport Pottery.

Christine Lovatt in her new salon.

T H E A N G E L 11

EMOTIONAL scenes marked the unveiling of

the long-awaited tribute to the victims and

heroic rescuers of the 1942 Sneyd Colliery

disaster.

During the 65 years since the New Year’s Day

tragedy in which 57 miners died in a massive

underground explosion there had been several

calls for a fitting memorial.

That dream finally came true when a stunning

memorial – a 6ft diameter pit wheel set in a plinth

which stands in Burslem outside Ceramica in

Wedgwood Place – was officially opened amid

tears and applause from relatives of the victims.

The poignant ceremony was the successful

outcome of the latest efforts to properly honour

those who perished as well as the brave rescue

teams who put their own lives at risk and toiled for

eight days in grim and dangerous conditions to

recover all the bodies of their colleagues.

The moving memorial includes a marble plaque

that lists the names of those killed in the disaster,

as well as the rescue workers whose lives

depended on breathing apparatus protecting them

from the lethal carbon monoxide fumes in the

underground shaft.

Keith Meeson, Chairman of the Apedale Mining

Heritage Centre, who raised £2,500 towards the

cost of the memorial with a sponsored walk

dressed as a Victorian miner, said:

“This lasting tribute has been very well received.

Lots of relatives of miners who died in the pit

disaster were at the unveiling ceremony, and the

moment was very emotional. It may have seemed

a drop in the ocean, given the thousands who were

dying in the second world war at the time, but it

was a catastrophe for Burslem.

“One lady who attended the ceremony told how

her father narrowly avoided the tragedy by

swapping shifts with a work mate the night before

the explosion.

“If they had not swapped, her father’s name

would be on the plaque in that man’s place. It

shows how many families the event touched.”

Keith added: “The memorial should be a source

of pride. It celebrates our heroes, not just the

rescue workers but the miners themselves. Their

work played a vital part in the war effort.”

Relatives of the victims plan to place flowers at

the memorial every New Year’s Day to mark the

date of the Sneyd Colliery disaster.

PROPOSALS to transform thehistoric Royal Doultonfactory site at Burslem andbring new jobs and housingto the Mother Town havereached a new stage.

As The Angel was going topress developers St ModwenProperties applied to the CityCouncil for planningpermission for the £10million scheme to go ahead.Under the plans the formerhome of the Nile Streetfactory will be converted toaround 37 business units,while nearby derelictbuildings will be demolishedto make way for a further 35units.

The prime location willalso create 140 new familyhomes, both traditionalhouses and fashionablemews, to attract morefamilies back into the town –a key factor in Burslem’sregeneration.

A new draft master plandetailing final proposals forthe 11 acres of land wasdisplayed at Burslem Schoolof Art to give residents achance to have their sayabout the scheme.

St Modwen RegionalDirector Mike Herbert said:“Burslem is a town that isgoing places, and thisdevelopment will help tocreate a vibrant towncentre.”

After discussions withplanning officials, StModwen have made changesto the original plans. The layout for the housing nowfollows a grid-like pattern tomake it more urban thansuburban, and thereforemore appropriate for its towncentre location.

And the “enterprisecourtyard,” that will becreated by convertinghistoric buildings at thegated main factory entrancein Nile Street, will be smallerthan originally planned.

Campaigner Keith Meeson with relatives of Sneyd Colliery disaster victims and rescuers, left to right,Beryl Royle, Barbara Limer and Agnes Burgess at the pit memorial in Burslem town centre.

Relatives at the unveiling ceremony.

Memorial finally in place asjustice is done

Public welcome tribute to heroic miners Planningapplicationmade forprime sitescheme

The Angel is produced on behalf of Burslem Regeneration Company by Smith Davis Press

ADVICE and information oncourses at Stoke on TrentCollege’s Burslem Campuswill be offered at openevenings on October 31and November 29. Anyoneis welcome to find outmore about opportunitiesat the college betwen5.30pm and 8.30pm.

BURSLEM’S first winebar is bringing a touch ofclass to the mother town.

Tucked away behind ahedge and archway,Chambers Wine Bar onWedgwood Place boasts awide spread of tipplesfrom French red for undera tenner to luxury LouisRoederer Cristal at £250 abottle. Proprietor JulieWilkins said the bar offerstownsfolk a more refinednight out. She added: “Ithink the bar stands outby focusing on qualitywines and ambience.”

Chambers is based in anold Georgian House nextdoor to the Roebuck pub.The house dates back tothe 1730s and waspreviously a solicitor’soffice.

POLICE are never far away from the people

who live on their beat in Middleport. For a

new Police and Community House has

opened its doors to serve as a base for the area’s

dedicated police team.

The property, an end terrace house at 215,

Newport Lane, was provided by RENEW and also

provides a meeting place for the Residents’

Association, other community groups and local

councillors.

Like so many properties around it, the Police

and Community House had been standing empty

to make way for the regeneration programme that

will transform this part of Burslem.

Residents were concerned that the vacant

houses were attracting crime and anti-social

behaviour. Lead and copper have been stripped

from some of the empty premises, while fly tipping

in alleyways and greenways has become a

problem.

Now Middleport’s team of Neighbour Beat

Officers and Police Community Support Officers

will be based at the heart of the community.

Inspector Jim Wood, of Burslem police, said:

“The Police House means that local officers can

spend even more time in Middleport because they

will not be out of the area travelling to and from

Burslem police station, where they were formerly

based.

“Local people are welcome to pop into the

house and keep in touch with the officers about

anything that concerns them. It is an effective way

of bringing policing closer to the community with a

highly visible presence.”

In addition to their new base, the Middleport

police team has two new “recruits” – two purpose

designed mountain bikes provided by RENEW to

add to their two existing bicyles that were supplied

by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The bikes mean

that beat officers can respond rapidly to incidents

in locations like rough land and alleyways .

■ This is the neighbourhood police team that

serves the Middleport community (collar number

in brackets): Neigbourhood Beat Officer Scott

McGrath (4886), Neighbourhood Beat Officer

Adam Syred (0966), PCSO Helen Rowley (8959),

PCSO Adam Van De Sande (8832).

To contact any of these officers phone 08453 30

31 32 and after the prompt, key in the officer’s

collar number, Calls are charged at local rate.

THE Sadlers Park housingdevelopment that isbringing stylish andaffordable homes to thecentre of Burslem, hasentered an exciting thirdphase. The developersCountryside Propertieshave started constructionof a mix of houses andapartments situated inMarket Place opposite theCeramica building and onthe site of the demolishedSadler pottery factory.

The latest properties,which are ideal for bothfamilies and first-timebuyers as well as forcouples and single people,will start to becomeavailable between Springand Summer 2008.

Wine barambience

Next phaseset to start

Open nights

Middleport resident MaudHill pictured outside the

new police post with, left toright, Neighbourhood BeatOfficers Scott McGrath and

Adam Syred and PCSOAdam van de Sande.

New police house is vitalcommunity link PCSO Adam

van de Sand patrols the alleys

of Middleport on his bike.

The Andel – Issue 6, Autumn 2007

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Transcript of The Andel – Issue 6, Autumn 2007