She told The Stoke-on-Trent Lead: “I loved growing up around Stoke. I had loads of friends who went to the same primary school and we’d meet after school to play on the site of Stoke City’s old Victoria ground.
“We’d pretend it was a toxic waste ground and make dens. Back then you could roam for what seemed like miles and everyone knew everyone so you felt safe. If we got peckish we’d go over to Stoke town to the market and someone’s mum, nan or auntie would be there to buy us a Wright’s sausage roll or chips.
“We were all so close that even when we went up to high school we’d still hang around but obviously by then we’d be outside the old Victoria Wine, seeing if someone who looked old enough would grab us a bottle or two of Lambrusco after we’d pooled our pocket money together!
“Even when we left school and went to town (Hanley) clubbing, the Stoke lot or Westenders as we were known still hung out in the same groups and used to have little dust ups with the kids from Hanley, Shelton and Birches.
“It was nothing too serious, we just felt protective and were a bit territorial I suppose. It’s really sad to look at Stoke town now and see all the old shops and market stalls more or less gone. It started even before the pandemic but I guess it's much worse after. I don’t know what the future holds for Stoke as one of the Six Towns, it seems like most old buildings are being knocked down or converted into student accommodation or flats so that doesn’t bode well for local businesses as most students or commuters tend to go to the bigger retail parks in the city or out of town. The sense of community has pretty much left now”.
Stacy’s story appears to be repeated across the Six Towns. I spoke to June Cartwright - also known as The Queen of Burslem. June is a great-Grandmother and maternal figure, being involved in many community projects and initiatives in Burslem.
She told The Stoke-on-Trent Lead: “Burslem is called the Mother Town because of the start of the potbanks began there - including Wedgwood.
“So it was through the birth of potbanks, she became the Mother. Underground, on market place is the first Wedgwood pottery called Ivyhouse. The loss of potbanks is the worst thing to happen to Burslem, greedy owners sold the factories including Doultons to be made into cheaper pottery.
“Of course, that led to the loss of shops and markets. The pubs and restaurants now are award-winning, thank goodness, so we still have some local businesses.
“Since converting business parks like Forest Park etc shops have really struggled. Jane Ashworth of Labour, as council leader is doing a really good job. She does her job of sorting our town out – litter picking, road repairs and the stuff that people feel is important - she is well-liked.
“We still have fantastic historic buildings that people come from miles to see and we, of course, are the home of Port Vale FC. It helps lots of businesses and local organisations. Despite the loss of local shops and businesses our fantastic community still comes together for summer fetes and Christmas markets, held in the Square”.
Speaking with June put me in mind of how Burslemers are seen as the “proper Stokies” and are agreed to have the strongest Potters accent. I’d forgotten the title “The Mother Town” but it’s clear when you see how central and historic Burslem still is to this day how the effects of the potbanks and factories shutting down is still contentious and a loss of town identity to many.
J F Burgess is a local author and grew up in the town of Hanley. He spoke of a time when the town used to attract buses of visitors from Birmingham and Manchester looking for a night out.
He told The Stoke-on-Trent Lead: “In the 80s and 90s, Hanley's nightlife was the heartbeat of the towns’ night-time economy. Iconic clubs like The Place, Chicos, Satchmos and Golden at the Academy, the latter attracting busloads from the West Midlands and Manchester, hosted world famous DJs, featured on MTV and in numerous sub-culture magazines of the day.
“The pubs and curry houses of Hanley were not just restaurants and watering holes; they were communal hubs where friendships were forged and stories shared. The Arzoo, Monzil, Shaffers, Dew Drop Inn, Leadbelly’s, Flickers, Heaths Wine Bar, The French Horn, Minstrels, and Left Bank Café (a bar I DJ’ed at for a couple of years), were all the backdrop to countless anecdotes and camaraderie that defined the social fabric of the town as young and old happily mixed.