A birthday out with Alison Blaney in Burslem and Leek. Burslem, thinly disguised as as Bursley in Arnold Bennett's books. One of the 'six towns' of Stoke on Trent (the others being Tunstall, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton). Like its cousin towns, it is quite run down, but there are diamonds in the rough, and its disrepair gives it some charm. It is however rare for it to have tourists, so that me and my mother were considered rather oddly by its local inhabitants.
The tower of Burslem town hall. A magnificent building now obscured by the 'Ceramica' tea shop and shop, an assymetric greenhouse with an unnecessary spike jutting out from one of its sides, given cheap cladding and only made one-quarter respectable by the vast amount of money lavished upon it by the council. As you can see, the town hall could be given a good weeding.

The town hall's previous life. Adding the famous angel to its top.
Jubilee celebrations.

The excellent library building, built in honour of Josiah Wedgwood. Unfortunately the Royal Doulton company has closed down its factory in Burslem to relocate abroad.

What is this? A statue of Colonel Sanders? Actually, it is another Josiah Wedgwood.

Market entrance.
















Demolition work. Fields of rubble are not an uncommon sight in the Potteries. In Hanley there have been sites left for years, looking like they have just suffered an aerial bombing run.

An old chapel. Now on the market. Any takers?
The Leopard. One of the oldest pubs.

Look how short the first floor set of windows are.

A newly refurbished water fountain.

This house needs re-pointing.

The Hurricane Snooker, Pool and Balti Centre is upstairs.

Sunday window shopping.
Narrow bottle kilns.

St. John's community church in Burslem. I tried the side door and it was locked. Through the door window I made eye contact with someone inside but it seemed preferable to move away quickly. Unlike countryside churches, this one was locked for a reason. Strains of pop music and a kind of 'abedaneebedoobedewo' lyric leaked out of the holes in the wire mesh protecting the main windows.

This is a taste of Leek.
The Quiet Woman public house
A Home and Colonial Stores' shop-front still going strong (that is, apart from the window glass). From the days when we painted the map red (or should that be pink? Red just doesn't suit, especially after 1917).



First World War memorial in Leek.

Inside Leek's St. Edward the Confessor Church. There is a Saxon preaching cross in the churchyard which may date back to the 600s and was used by Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops for target practice. Cannon balls were trained on the church in 1640 when it became part of a last stand by a group of Royalists. It has a agreat many hightlights. There is a tombstone which features in the Guiness Book of Records because it records the death of James Robinson, aged 438. Supposedly you can see a double sunset from one vantage point on the summer solstice, as the sun sets and reappears to set another time.

Tiered gallery.



The Ashenhurst Brass depicting the four kneeling wives of John Ashenhurst together with his ten children from 1597.
Saxon cross.
Christ and St. John the Baptist. In a part of the church called the Parlour (from 'parler', French 'to speak', where the men did business).
Four giant reversible toilet roles only £1.00, for your convenience.