Longton
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Map of Staffordshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Staffordshire
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Longton books (4 available)
Longton memories
Read and share memories of Longton and Staffordshire inspired by Frith photos
My early years in Longton - 1870s to 1940s
I was born in Longton in 1933 at 151 High Street Post Office, Longton.
All my childhood was spent there with my grandmother Sarah Wright and my great aunt Matilda Ward (my grandmother's sister). Between them they ran the Post Office until the middle years of the Second World War.
Before it was a Post Office, my great grandfather William Ward had a tailoring business there, from 1871 until it changed to the Post Office around about the early 1900s.
This is when his two daughters took over and carried on with the family business.
Next door at 153, my great grandfather's son William Ward junior ran a mens' hairdressing shop and a newsagent ...approx c1900.
It really was ...read more here
Contributed by Barbara johnson
BELCHER'S
Running parallel at the back of this church [St James] runs High street, where I was born as generations of my family were.
The two pot banks on the right represent a fraction of the "Belcher's"
that existed in Longton in the 30s/4os, they dominated everyone who lived amongst them with their endless stream of black smoke belching six days a week and covering all the buildings with soot and dirt. Night time brought short relief, until the next firing. Wash days were a nightmare, clothes went on to the line clean only to be covered later on with black spots that poured down relentlessly from the heavy smoky skies. White washing was unheard of in the Potteries until ...read more here
Contributed by Barbara johnson
Staffordshire memories
BELCHER'S
Running parallel at the back of this church [St James] runs High street, where I was born as generations of my family were.
The two pot banks on the right represent a fraction of the "Belcher's"
that existed in Longton in the 30s/4os, they dominated everyone who lived amongst them with their endless stream of black smoke belching six days a week and covering all the buildings with soot and dirt. Night time brought short relief, until the next firing. Wash days were a nightmare, clothes went on to the line clean only to be covered later on with black spots that poured down relentlessly from the heavy smoky skies. White washing was unheard of in the Potteries until ...read more here
A memory of Longton contributed by Barbara johnson
My early years in Longton - 1870s to 1940s
I was born in Longton in 1933 at 151 High Street Post Office, Longton.
All my childhood was spent there with my grandmother Sarah Wright and my great aunt Matilda Ward (my grandmother's sister). Between them they ran the Post Office until the middle years of the Second World War.
Before it was a Post Office, my great grandfather William Ward had a tailoring business there, from 1871 until it changed to the Post Office around about the early 1900s.
This is when his two daughters took over and carried on with the family business.
Next door at 153, my great grandfather's son William Ward junior ran a mens' hairdressing shop and a newsagent ...approx c1900.
It really was ...read more here
A memory of Longton contributed by Barbara johnson
Extracts From Longton & Staffordshire books
Gazing up the street
past Wilks Teenage
Fashions (left) with
the Elkes Cafe above,
we can see Barclays
Bank. This was built
in 1921 on the site of
Huggins & Chambers,
an ironmonger’s. The
ironmonger’s sold
Witchem’s firelighters
among other products
- these must have
contributed to the
conflagration when
the building was
burned to the ground
in 1920.
An extract from from"Uttoxeter Living Memories".
The Old Talbot was built in 1527,
and is reputed to be the oldest
building in Uttoxeter. It survived
two fires which badly damaged the
town in 1596 and 1672. The coat
of arms on the inn sign depicts
its name: a talbot, or hound, was
the crest of the Talbots, Earls of
Shrewsbury. Recent renovations
have revealed more of the timber-
framed structure.
An extract from from"Uttoxeter Living Memories".
In 1642 Charles I was confronted on the approach to
the bridge by a contingent of Staffordshire residents
asking him to come to terms with Parliament. He
ignored their pleas. The new A50 bypass has meant
that the bridge is now an attractive stop on the
Staffordshire Way.
An extract from from"Uttoxeter Living Memories".
Here we see the kiosk
being used as a traffic
roundabout. The lantern
atop the building has
now gone. Here the
view of the kiosk is all
but obliterated by a
telephone exchange box,
a police telephone box
and the large road sign
which gives directions to
Stoke, Stafford, Rugeley
and the Uttoxeter Lido.
These have all since
been removed.
An extract from from"Uttoxeter Living Memories".
The original White Horse
pub can be seen behind
the war memorial; it was
demolished to make way for
the incongruous new 1960s
town planning building. The
new White Horse was itself
seriously damaged by fire
in 2004, when the roof and
much of the upper floor
were badly affected. The
original White Horse Inn was
built in 1830 and owned by
John Twigg; there were 24
pubs in Uttoxeter at that
time. An ancient market
cross with 24 steps once
stood at this site.
An extract from from"Uttoxeter Living Memories".