Latest news with #Potteries
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent celebrates to mark 100th birthday
Update: Date: 06:56 BST Title: Welcome to our live coverage Content: Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Stoke-on-Trent Day, which marks the city's centenary. It has been 100 years since Stoke-on-Trent was given its city status by King George V on 5 June 1925, all down to its contribution to the UK's pottery industry - hence its nickname, The Potteries. Stay with us, prepare to blow out imaginary candles and tip a hat, as we keep you up to date with everything that's going on throughout the day to mark the occasion.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt review – bittersweet 1950s tale of the Potteries
The first word ever spoken on the New Vic stage was 'Yes'. The affirmation came at the start of a poem by Arthur Berry, written in 1986 to toast the new theatre and welcome audiences to a place of 'necessary illusions'. In his native Potteries, Berry is a celebrated polymath, known for his drawings, prints and watercolours, as well as poetry, broadcasting and half a dozen plays, including St George of Scotia Road, the theatre's opening production. Appropriately, in this centenary year of Berry's birth and three decades after his death, the theatre has dug out the first draft of his final play, spruced it up and given it a belated debut. It is unlikely anyone would consider Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt a neglected classic. Drawn with the same broad strokes and warm human eye as the sketches that line the upper foyer walls, it is a kitchen-sink drama, evoking the long-lost life of working-class Card Street, Burslem, where the pulse of a pugmill sets a relentless rhythm and the wafer-thin walls permit no secrets. Berry writes with a sense of bittersweet nostalgia: think Terence Davies's Distant Voices, Still Lives with the intensity, violence and poetry dialled down. His characters are trapped by circumstance, their lives made smaller by the need to survive. There is Nellie Salt (Laura Costello), washed out and broken, her hopes of betterment dashed by teenage pregnancy. There is her husband, Sammy (Alasdair Baker), gruff and taciturn, his emotions reserved for the care of his pregnant sow he keeps. And above all, there is Phoebe Salt (Isabella Rossi), the 'daughter of the sun' and the only colour in Lis Evans's perfectly drab 1950s set, a young woman bursting with an energy that cannot be contained. Making a debut as assured as it is bolshie, Rossi has the measure of this ever-restless teenager, bored by her faithful fiance (Elliot Goodhill), enticed by the illicit thrill of her married boss (Perry Moore), entertained by the showbiz ambitions of her stage partner (Andrew Pollard), and worth more than all of them put together. In Abbey Wright's well acted production, she rides above the perfunctory plot and heavily signalled denouement and makes it her own. At New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until 21 June
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Arthur Berry's last play performed in Stoke-on-Trent for his centenary
The last play written by a leading dramatist from the Potteries is receiving its world premiere as part of commemorations marking the centenary of his Berry grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and became a prolific writer and artist before his death in final play Whatever happened to Pheobe Salt is being staged at the New Vic Theatre. The New Vic opened in 1986 with a performance of one of Berry's poems by Freddie Jones, father of actor Toby city is also marking its centenary - with Stoke-on-Trent Day being held on Thursday. The production of Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt features local Rossi, who is making her stage debut, said it was an honour."To be able to be here which is a theatre which I grew up in coming to watch shows and now to be on the stage, doing a show and for such a celebration - for Arthur - for Stoke - it is just a full circle." As well as being a renowned writer, Berry was a notable artist, using the inspiration he drew from his hometown as a thread that ran throughout his Heskins, artistic director of the theatre, said he loved the area he was from."The very first word spoken on this stage by Freddie Jones, [film and TV actor] Toby Jones' dad, was the word 'yes' as part of a poem called Yes by Arthur Berry - what a thing to be part of our history."He made these plays about Stoke-on-Trent really. The place that he loved and all of his work was about it."It's all full of the grit and humour of Stokie life." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent's centenary logo recreated using 4,000 Lego pieces
A man has used more than 4,000 pieces of Lego to build a model of a city's centenary Walker used the plastic bricks to create a large-scale model of Stoke-on-Trent's official centenary logo, which commemorates the city's 100th anniversary this construction, which took 77 hours of work and used 4,016 pieces of Lego, is on display at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery until the end of enthusiast Mr Walker created the plastic artwork after he issued a call-out in April for people to donate spare Lego bricks. The logo contains references to Stoke-on-Trent's rich pottery industry and includes other well-known symbols of the city, which include a Spitfire, a bottle oven and the Burslem Angel, which is a gilded copper angel that stands on top of the old town Steve Watkins, deputy lord mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, said the display was a "wonderful gesture" and a reminder of how Lego could "bring joy to all ages"."I hope this display inspires young visitors to build their own ideas and reminds grown-ups that you're never too old to play," he Walker, who is known as StokieLego on social media, added that he was "absolutely blown away" by the support."I needed a lot of Lego to bring this to life, and the community came through," he added."The final design is mostly flat, but I've added some raised elements to give it depth. The kiln and Spitfire literally stand out, just like they do in our city's story." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Latest news from the Mid Cheshire crown green bowling scene
Simon White in action for Cheshire against the Potteries (Image: Contributed) Stuart Greenhalgh reports on activities in the Mid Cheshire crown green bowling scene… CASTLE Sports cemented themselves at the top of the Mid Cheshire Crown Green Bowling League Premier Division with a full house at home to Owley Wood B. It was a tough night for Owley Wood as they were on the wrong side of a 210-90 scoreline. Frodsham Red Lion A jumped to second place by beating Castle Sports B 205-108. Crewe PO had a good night against Owley Wood A, beating the home team 174-200. Wharton cons A had a tricky time on the artificial surface at Helsby, narrowly winning 175-178. In Section One, Victoria remained top with a comfortable 154-195 away win against Tarporley A. ADVERTISEMENT Barnton A had their first home match in Section One, winning 207-131 against Castle Sports C. Kingswood BC had a full house at home to Middlewich RBL A, winning the match 210-126. In Section Two, after two games, Sandbach Park head the table by 10 points from Castle Sports D. Section Three sees Barnton CC C lead the way by 17 points, although second-placed Owley Wood D remain unbeaten. With there being an odd number of teams in Section Three, resulting each week in one team having a bye, it means some teams have only played one match. In Section Four, Cuddington hold top spot 18 points in front of Winnington B. Meanwhile, it was a tough outing for the Cheshire county side on Sunday. The home game was played at Castle Sports and Cheshire had eight winners in a 223-195 win over the Potteries. But, away on the artificial surface at Biddulph Bowling & Recreation club, Cheshire had to wait until the last two games to pick up a couple of wins with Neal Ocego returning a 21-12 card and Jason Cornes coming out on top 21-20. ADVERTISEMENT Paul Drinkwater, on his debut, just lost out 21-20 to Lee Brown. With 10 winners, the Potteries won their home leg 242-197 to secure the overall victory. Sunday's Federation match is against East Lancs. Interestingly, the Mid Cheshire team will contain many of the players from both county sides of Cheshire versus the Potteries - one Sunday they are fighting for every point against each other, the following Sunday they are teammates. The home leg for Mid Cheshire Fed is at Alsager and the match starts at 2.30pm. Your support would be appreciated. My apologies to Mid Cheshire ladies for missing the start of your season. After two matches, Division One sees Castle Sports Ladies holding top spot 13 points ahead of Frodsham Red Lion. Third place Norley are ahead of fourth place Winnington Ladies by just one point.
