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This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. For other places called Stoke or for other uses of that word please see Stoke (disambiguation).
The city of Stoke-on-Trent (also known as The Six Towns, and The Potteries) is a sprawling conurbation in The Midlands, United Kingdom.
Stoke-on-Trent is situated almost equidistant to all the major cities in the North/Midlands of the UK (Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Liverpool, Sheffield). The town is named after Stoke, one of its districts.
The city runs into Newcastle-under-Lyme, which is administratively separate. Together they form a conurbation with a population of over 350,000.
Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly-elected mayor, currently Mike Wolfe, an independent. It is the only one of the eleven English districts with elected mayors to use the mayor and council manager system rather than the mayor and cabinet system.
History
The Federation of the Six Towns brought together the boroughs of Hanley, Burslem, Longton and Stoke, together with the districts of Tunstall and Fenton as the single county borough of Stoke-on-Trent in 1910. Stoke-on-Trent was officially granted city status in 1925.
Although the city is named after Stoke, and the City Council is located there, conventionally the City Centre is regarded as being in Hanley. Its county borough status was abolished in 1974, and it became a district of Staffordshire. It was restored as a unitary authority independent of Staffordshire on April 1, 1998.
Since the 17th century the area has been almost exclusively known for its pottery manufacturing, with such world renowned names as Royal Doulton, Spode, Wedgwood and Minton being born and based there. Lesser known is the locally-loved Potteries Oatcake (very different from the Scottish version), whose fame has yet to travel outside of North Staffordshire.
In recent years Stoke-on-Trent has been hit hard by the general decline in the UK manufacturing sector, with numerous factories and potbanks being closed. This has resulted in a sharp rise in unemployment in the semi-skilled workforce.
The fortunes of the city seem however to be on the brink of changing, with the city shrugging off its undeserved image of an industrial northern hellhole - several service sector companies have established there (notably, the Caudwell Group), and new business parks are promising to bring new economic life to the city.
The motto of Stoke-on-Trent is Vis Unita Fortior which can be translated as: United Strength is Stronger, or Strength United is the More Powerful. See picture (above right).
Sites and Attractions
Stoke-on-Trent is home to two Football League teams, Stoke City F.C. (the Potters), whose ground is in Stoke, and Port Vale F.C. (the Valiants) based in Burslem.
Stoke-on-Trent has a reputation of being something of a "studentville", and with good reason. Stoke-on-Trent College has two sites, one in Burslem and the main centre in nearby Shelton. The Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College is based in Fenton, while Staffordshire University has one site based in Shelton (the other is in Stafford). The city centre is also popular with students from Keele University.
Nightlife has boomed in recent years, with Hanley becoming increasingly popular for its nightclubs, pubs and restaurants. Nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme also has plenty to offer in that respect.
If you fancy a bit of shopping then try Hanley, with the Potteries Shopping Centre and plenty of major high street stores. Indulge in the city's past with a visit to one of its many museums, including the newly opened Ceramica in Burslem.
People born in Stoke-on-Trent
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