Latest news with #PotteriesMuseum
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent at 100: 'You can't find better people than Stokies'
Stoke-on-Trent has been marking its 100th birthday this week, after King George V declared it a city on 5 June part of the celebrations, BBC Radio Stoke is gathering residents' stories and asking them to sign a giant oatcake "Stokie stories" will be displayed in an exhibition later this year at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley. Here are some of the Stokies who have spoken to us so far. Laura Price studied in London for two years and was so "terribly homesick" she couldn't wait to get back."I absolutely hated it - the people weren't like Stokies, I missed Stoke."Laura says she particularly missed her hometown's friendly and chatty atmosphere."You can't go into a shop in Stoke without [getting to know] the cashier's life story.""Just the craic, the laugh – you can't find better people than you can in Stoke-on-Trent."Laura, who returned after studying complementary therapies and beauty therapy, now works in the city and lives with her husband and daughter. Harji Kaur, who teaches Bollywood and Bhangra dance classes, says she feels "blessed" that people come to her sessions and enjoy themselves."I am really grateful and thankful to the community," she says."I am from a different country, from a different language, but still they accept me the way I am."Harji adds that she has psoriasis which has affected her bones, meaning that she is often in pain before a session starts."[But] when I come to this class, when I see people come to me and they trust me, I just forget my pain," she says. Sue Smith moved to Stoke nine years ago with her husband Barry, after closing her eyes and pointing randomly to a place on a map of England."As soon as we got here, I loved it," she says her approach to life is to "try anything once" - she did a parachute jump when she was 18 and emigrated to Canada when she was 21. She returned to the UK in her 50s and met Barry. He died last year and Sue says losing him has been "the most horrendous thing"."We met in later life and we had lots of things planned," she says."I really wish I'd met Barry when I was younger, but I didn't, and I had 14 wonderful years with him so it was magic." Moonii Jawadin was told he might die within a fortnight due to an aggressive type of leukaemia."It was just a shock - being told you've got two weeks to live," he one point during his illness, he was in an induced coma at Royal Stoke Hospital and his loved ones came to "say goodbye to me"."My sister was my donor and she saved my life. She's my hero - she can ask for anything and I'll get it [for] her," he says."I wake up every day [now] knowing I can breathe, I can walk - these are all blessings that we take for granted," he says. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Outdoor exhibition of famous art works opens in Stoke-on-Trent
An outdoor exhibition featuring life-sized prints of fifteen famous artworks has on Your Doorstep, featuring works by artists including Van Gogh and Monet, can been seen in Bethesda Gardens, in Hanley, city becomes the first place in the UK to host a National Gallery outdoor exhibition and was chosen to help mark its centenary year."It offers people the chance to encounter art as they go about their everyday life," said Jane Knowles from the gallery. The free display will run until January. The paintings from the national collection were chosen by the arts curator at the nearby Potteries Museum and Art Gallery."It's an absolutely incredible selection of some of the most well known artists and most beautiful paintings ever created," said Ms Knowles. Having the replicas on display in this way allows people to "pause, reflect and connect with no bother at all, not even step into a museum," said the gallery's director of public National Gallery celebrated its bicentenary in 2024, and it was an honour to join in Stoke-on-Trent's centenary, she added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hundreds to join parade to mark Stoke-on-Trent centenary
Hundreds of people are expected to join a parade this weekend as a centrepiece to Stoke-on-Trent's centenary People's Parade and a party in Hanley Park will begin at 13:00 parade will set off from Stoke-on-Trent College, passing by the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery at about 14:00 before finishing at the park at about 15: was granted city status on 5 June 1925 by King George V, and the parade is just one of many events to mark the anniversary. "The streets will be lined with people, all coming together to celebrate Stoke-on-Trent and the salt-of-the-earth folk who make it what it is," said the city's lord mayor, Steve Watkins. The parade on Saturday will feature music, dancing, banners and even giant puppets marching through the city will head along College Road to Broad Street, before passing by a cheering point at the museum at about 14: will then go along Regent Road before heading towards the park down Cleveland Road, organisers parade's finishing point, Hanley Park, is then due to to play host to street food stalls, activities and music acts on a big stage until 18:00, depending on weather conditions. 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.
BBC News
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent festival showcases deaf and disabled artists
A festival showcasing the talent of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists is being held in Stoke-on-Trent this full programme includes performances, conversations and a curated exhibition, with a sound installation, dance, music, poetry, film, photographs and by Frontline Dance, the festival opened on Friday and is being held at the Potteries Museum and Arts and performer Kayleigh Price has focused on her experiences of tension and trauma and anxiety to create a commissioned installation. GCSE students at Newfriars College have taken a series of photographs to celebrate diversity, challenge perceptions of what people with special needs can achieve, and capture moments of happiness and joy. Members of an arts group for autistic people and those with learning disabilities in the Stoke-on-Trent area have explored the world of protest banners to come up with their own creation for the banner, titled Autism Doesn't Have a Look and created by The Social Agency, is on display during the of the group were extremely proud of their work, organisers said, and saw it as a statement and a piece of art that stirred up "powerful, emotional responses".Inspired by protest banners created by trade unions, the group pored over books exploring the process also included discussions by group members, where they talked about their experiences of feeling stereotyped and was made over five weeks by 18 members of the group in textile banner-making sessions. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
