I and my wife took 7 days holiday last week, and for one reason or another, rather than going away for a break we decided to stay at home and go out for days. Its only when you sit down to consider all the things you can do in and around Stoke it truly hits you the wealth and variety of leisure facilities and attractions we have in the city or nearby. Mitchell, New Vic, Regent, Victoria Hall Theatres; Odeon & Stoke Film Theatre; Festival Park bowling, skiing and snooker halls; Dimensions & Fenton Manor; a premiership football club; Potteries Museum & Gladstone Pottery; Queens, Hanley, Burslem & Central Forest Parks; Park Hall & the municipal golf course; world renowned ceramics attractions and a host of other stuff all within the city boundaries. And a tiny bit further a field it’s a similar story: Trentham Gardens & Monkey Forest, Apedale, Buxton & the Peak District, Uttoxeter races, the list goes on. There is a genuine wealth in variety to suit many interests and budgets.
It is often said that Stoke-on-Trent is talked down and talks itself down. It is fair to say we have had a raw deal in the past, but I can’t help but feel when talking about the assets we do have in and around the city we do sell ourselves short. Two things struck me, one regarding community safety and the other regarding regeneration.
The first relates to antisocial behaviour, particularly among young people. As a councillor this is one of my main ward priorities, and it is something that almost always comes up when I talk to residents. Often the message from residents and agencies alike (and I’ve uttered the words on more than once) is “that there is nothing for them to do”. This excuse for making people’s life a misery is simply not accurate, and it is not good enough. There are plenty of free/affordable facilities across the city for young people, publicity and access may be the problem. We need to fully utilise and (in my personal view) invest in our youth service to engage with young people who could otherwise be causing mischief. Transport can be improved so that all young people aren’t constrained by the geography of the city in trying to access the services that suit their tastes. For example a teen in Tunstall who is into dance music is precluded from using Studio Q in Longton because getting there is a problem, and a skateboarder in Meir can’t get to the plaza in Forest Park because they may be priced of the buses. There are simple solutions to these access problems.
The second thing that struck me concerned regeneration. Industrial decline has, and continues to hit the city hard. While I am a strong advocate of trying to boost the manufacturing sector in the city, I think there is a real opportunity to build up the tourist potential in city. Preferable exchange rates means overseas tourists are more inclined to part with cash when they are visiting the global home of fine ceramics, and the credit crunch inevitably means UK holiday makers looking to destinations closer to home in order to keep a tighter grip on the purse strings. We can capitalise on this by marketing the city better and by carrying out essential facelifts in some areas. We have a lot of attractions to offer holiday-makers, we just need to package things better.
Stoke-on-Trent is a proud city with a lot to be proud about, but more than that, it has a lot to be optimistic about if politicians and council officers have the right mindset.