Blythe Bridge, Meir, Normacot, Longton, Lightwood, Meir Heath (1989)

Car Journey Through Blythe Bridge, Meir, Normacot, Longton, Lightwood and Meir Heath in October 1989. Pre A500. Driver: The late Eric Ralphs.

[@StaffsTransport]

Thanks. My late father and my brother did this in 1989 and I recorded it onto a "compilation vhs". The original camcorder tape was recorded over (by mistake maybe) and my vhs was lost for a few years. I was surprised to locate it still intact a few months ago. I am happy to see it is getting a nice reaction. Thanks for your interest. My dad would be very happy :-)

[@ianhand5006]

I bet you didn’t realise when you were recording this, that thirty years in the future it would be possible for people all over the world to watch this video!

[@StaffsTransport]

Absolutely!

[@angusmeigh5141]

@@StaffsTransport I used to know some people from Blythe Bridge back then in the late 80s and early 90s. Such and the singer of local punk band AWOL and a member of the local punk band Impact. The local punk scene was thriving back then despite competition from the emerging rave scene.

[@StaffsTransport]

The first punk band in Blythe Bridge was Instant Chaos (1979-81) led by Fishbones Glover who went on to be a renowned rock photographer, now retired and living in Scotland. He went to Blythe Bridge High School and lived in Crossfield Avenue.

[@janwilliams8658]

Unreal trip down memory lane. Can't get over all the pubs that once stood and are now gone. Especially liked the footage of the robin hood and pats cafe. Quality days, sadly long gone.

[@StaffsTransport]

thanks... yes, indeed, a different time completely. Most of the old "pub crawl" is featured

[@msdreamkatcher]

A valuable video, keep it safe. brought tears to my eyes as I feel so sad at how that end of Longton has disintergrated... thank you

[@kenbarlow5373]

Same here. I've some very fond memories of Longton and the surrounding areas. So sad to see how it's gone. I really don't like change especially for the worse! I'm also not a fan of when the bridge at Critchlow's Corner was removed! Memories of walking our German Shepherds down there in the snow as a kid!

[@adrianjones1995]

Funny thing I’m watching this, cause I’ve recently just purchased a 1989 Volkswagen Golf Driver so when that car was launched this is how our local area looked like. Much more better than it is now. Nice throwback 👍🏻

[@sinista6536]

Thanks for uploading this video, I grew up in these areas but was born in 1995 so never really saw what it was like before the dual carriageway was put in. Strange watching it as some parts of the city I recognise then all of a sudden I’m completely lost again 😂

[@kenbarlow5373]

I'm sort of the other way around but more when I drive through the areas currently as I can't help remembering what they used to look like 😂

[@ruziggy]

Really enjoyed the video, the old Creda sign, Waggon & Horses ,Leeses Garage , the old factories now empty or demolished and loads more of interest. Thanks

[@kevinpwright]

Amazing video, thanks so much for sharing. I've lived in the USA now for 17 years and its great to see Meir and Normacot the way I remember it, High Street (Old A50) in Normacot is a ghost town now, it used to be bustling with pot bank workers, so much life just disappeared.

[@StaffsTransport]

thanks for watching. Certainly a bygone age unknown to so many of the new generation. Glad you enjoyed it, my late father would be blown away by the interest in this film.

[@williamdavies8146]

Was great to watch - I lived then at Meir Park - what surprises me is so little traffic as I recalled the nightmare King St and getting through Meir. A fab drive and memory thank you

[@StaffsTransport]

Thanks so much for your interest

[@ewilliams370]

Excellent vid. Like the comment below , who knew in 20 yrs time we could all watch this eh. My 1st job on leaving school , 94ish I think , was working on the meir tunnel! Took me back. Wished you had gone down longton high street though. God longton is a mess now , moved away along time ago but have family there and drop in from time to time,,,,,sad how it is now. Ta for the vid once again DUCK!!

[@JohnFM66]

Pure nostalgia. Thanks.

[@HenrysAdventures]

I really enjoyed watching that and seeing the cars of the time. I spotted a Lada which made my day. Love the vintage train set at the end.

[@StaffsTransport]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. I often watch it with a cup of tea, brings back the old days and my late father, and it is his old train set at the end of the film. I have the full film of that and will post soon.

[@matthewwilliams3827]

So cool watching this, from a year just before I was born, awesome!

[@kenbarlow5373]

Excellent video! I wish there was more of Stoke-on-Trent available to watch like this from around the last 30 to 40+ years. Absolutely appreciate gold like this though and thanks for making it available to see! I miss Stoke-on-Trent as it used to be!

[@lotuspoint]

This is an incredible find and I’m so delighted to find it here on KZbin. It’s amazing to see what this part of the world was like pre-Meir tunnel and the building of the new A50 in the 1990s. My father used to work at Florence colliery and seeing the one way system and the PMT garage in Longton brought back a floodgate of memories. I also loved seeing the old concrete streetlights as the journey leaves Longton as you head for Rough Close,, I remember that style dotted all over the city but don’t recall that style elsewhere. Honestly so many old memories as a result of this,, sincerely thank you for posting. 👍😊😊😊

[@StaffsTransport]

Glad you liked it. Indeed a journey in time. Please view my films on the Florence Colliery Railway, on my son's account. If you search "When Blurton Had A Railway" part 1,2,3 you'll find my three films showing lots of the old colliery trains.

[@potterinexile]

Bloody great i lived in Blythe Bridge before any of those A50 roadworks started and the Broadway was sstill open! and in Longton the PMT still had a depot there! Happy days thanx for the memories i really enjoyed that.

[@StaffsTransport]

Glad you liked it, my late father would be stunned by the response to this old film. Thanks

[@acid3129]

I was 10 months old when this was filmed its really strange to think just a few miles away I would have been doing baby things

[@dpz46]

Anymore stuff Ian? Glad to see WT Lighting on Uttoxeter road is still going even today!

[@mdhathaway46]

Alison. One of the ex girlfriends lived on Sutherland Drive. Nice to cast back. Thanks. 👍👍

[@HARVEYOSCAR70]

Love the old footage ...Long Live The Past

[@clayhead]

This was literally a journey down memory lane!! I grew up in lightwood, went to school in rough close and my grandparents lived in meir. I left stoke about 18 years ago but still have fond memories of birthday parties at the little chef on the A50, going to kwik save and pennywise in meir and dropping my auntie off at creda every morning before school. The times I’ve walked up common lane to meir heath for pe lessons at st Francis or to do my paper round from martins newsagents. You can leave stoke but it never leaves you!

[@StaffsTransport]

Glad you enjoyed it. I hope to have a better quality version up soon.

[@sinista.productions]

Little chef, gone. Kwik save, gone. Pennywise, gone. Creda, gone. It’s a shame how things have to change. Stoke might be a shithole now, but it’s our shithole.

[@grahampeach4004]

What a fantastic Video i worked at Staffs pots drank in wagon n horses in Meir , still in the Meir thanks for uploading it to KZbin

[@StaffsTransport]

Thanks for your interest

[@StaffsTransport]

Glad you liked it. My bro and I both worked on Staff Pots at the time of this film. :-)

[@hdproductions5050]

Great Ian I'm only 11 but it's amazing to see this in the late 80s

[@StaffsTransport]

glad you enjoyed the history

[@ddaazz365]

Blast from the past & thanks 😊

[@StaffsTransport]

Thanks for watching. My dad would be chuffed.

[@StaffsTransport]

my dad filmed the tiger moth and glider on Meir airfield in 1971, I know where the film is but it will take some time to find the correct place and transfer it. Hopefully next month :-)

[@shaunbodman2062]

Did you ever get the chance to upload the tiger moth footage?

[@Nick_Smith1970]

Thanks for this. I live in Sutherland Cres now, and was an apprentice in Normacott in 1989. I used to walk past the Citroen Dealer and the Alhambra to get the the Chippy at lunchtime. 😁

[@StaffsTransport]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@Nick_Smith1970]

@@StaffsTransport Just a wild guess, but was he driving a MK II escort 1.3? The engine sounded familiar to me somehow.

[@sablecreative]

What a brilliant gem of a video, the changes are huge!! Thanks for uploading 🙌

[@StaffsTransport]

Cheers for watching. Indeed it shows the old world, simpler times.

[@sablecreative]

@@StaffsTransport ditto, simpler times for sure, honestly really miss them too.

[@hanksiedonny]

Nice video. I moved to this end of Stoke a couple of years ago, and it's weird seeing how everything was laid out before the Meir Tunnel and the current A50 layout. Some bits I recognise & others I don't. I will say though, it's certainly changed a lot & not for the better unfortunately, it looked a hell of a lot better back then than what it does now.

[@StaffsTransport]

Thanks for your interest. Everything was a lot better back then. Glad you enjoyed the car ride.

[@PhilipSymons]

This has been brilliant. I've already shared it with my mum and dad. My friend used to live just near to you!

[@chrisroberts999]

What a fantastic piece of footage. Took me straight back. Thanks for sharing :-)

[@paulhancock1530]

LOVED this video. If you have any more footage of Longton from the 80’s I’d love to see that.

[@StaffsTransport]

Good to hear from you Chris, and glad you liked the film. Indeed, a blast from the past. :-) Would be great to see your older film some day :-)

[@user-yd9bj3bs8g]

Flew gliders at Meir Aerodrome 1967 to 1972 when it closed. Memories of aerial views of Meir, Longton, Meir Heath and Blythe Bridge. Left area due to declne. So sad to see. P.s. Still flying gliders now but in East Anglia.😊

[@StaffsTransport]

Staffordshire Gliding Club moved to Seighford where they are still based and doing very well. Thanks for your interest.

[@user-yd9bj3bs8g]

Yes . Staffs Gliding Club moved to Morridge near Leek where they operated from 1972 to 1992. Then moved to Seighford in 1992. Still there. Met some of their members at Cambridge Gliding Club recently at a glidimg competition. They were amazed to meet an original Meir pilot! Staffordshire Glidiing Club started in 1962 at Meir after air cadets activity ceased there. P.s. I helped to build Morridge airfield near Leek and flew there 1972 to 1978 when I left Sheffield for East Anglia.

[@jaysmith584]

The trouble with Meir those days, everyone and their Mother was a "10 man" so ta speak. But they fought proper, with fists. And after all the bull crap, get this, even shook hands and drew a line underneath it. That simple. That was that.Done and dusted. Now, not so much. Everyone and their mates uncle is doing it, Bruv. The innocence of youth hey.... used ta mean something at one point

[@gc68jypsyladexsplora61]

Cars in them days was much better stronger and reliable loved seeing the old buses and trucks and cars been up this steep hill many times grrear video loved it 💯💯💯♥️

[@StaffsTransport]

Cheers for your interest. My late father would have been stunned by the enthusiasm.

[@gc68jypsyladexsplora61]

@@StaffsTransport its a shame he did not do more videos in thrm days I used to hang around meir as I was always in to trucks and on weston coyney Road I really enjoyed that video that car he was driving sounded old like a Ford fiesta nice video 💯💯💯💯💯👍👍👍♥️

[@BloodMoonASMR]

1:54 It's bizarre seeing this section through Meir Park as one lane and 30mph

[@pauldavis353]

Thanks for the memories....

[@qarishahg]

Superb!!!!! Thanks for sharing. A gem indeed

[@gc68jypsyladexsplora61]

This is a classic video I went Longton high school there and Meir was better in this year than now I brought my first car at this junction a Morris marina for 300 pounds at age 17 this video is much better than the new Longton and meir great video 💯💯💯💯💯👍👍👍 I lived in Meir at age 7 good old days loved it in Longton the old arcade and the old bus station too fantastic video

[@StaffsTransport]

Thanks so much for watching

[@gc68jypsyladexsplora61]

@@StaffsTransport loved it tbh brought back memories 💯💯💯👍

[@matthewwilliams3827]

I wanna go on google earth to see what this exact route looks like now 🙂👍

[@MrScopus]

Wow a blast from the past, I was working at the video library at the bottom of Grindley lane then. I might have some footage of blythe bridge in 1970 before the By Pass,. Will dig it out.

[@Darren66ify]

Brilliant mate,thanks for posting,bought back some great memories this did,cheers fella

[@StaffsTransport]

really happy you liked it. Spread the word thanks :-)

[@StaffsTransport]

Glad everyone is enjoying it :-)

[@swordstoke]

Brilliant stuff! Cheers Ian! :)

[@TheDecBrennan]

A great blast from the past. Thanks for uploading this

[@skylined5534]

The A50 bypass, cutting a town in half and destroying it! Thank-you for this video, it's lovely to see the place as it used to be though sadly a lot of it is now so unfamiliar 🙁

[@StaffsTransport]

so happy you enjoyed it, super memories :-)

[@stetom74aa]

thank you very much

[@belindahiley4744]

Blimey, there was way less cars on the road than there is now!

[@matthewwilliams3827]

For sure! Not so much litter and graffiti either it seems lol.

[@MrScopus]

Saw this on Facebook which linked to KZbin, I thought I remember that house! then saw who had posted it. Glad your OK Ian. My old vid was on super 8 which my Dad did, but is on VHS now but will get it done in the next week or so, some great shots of Blythe Railway Station on it.

[@chrisgoostry]

Great to see this! We lived on the same estate at the time. Unfortunately it goes on and off the lower entrance of the crescent, so you don't see our house. From memory, the people at no. 37 had a Northern Irish number plate, which was somewhat exotic!

[@StaffsTransport]

My late father's reg plate was Irish, well spotted!

[@PurityVendetta]

Every 10 seconds some memory popped up. By the end I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Meir aerodrome was where my dad took me for my first driving lessons.

[@StaffsTransport]

So happy you enjoyed it

[@PurityVendetta]

@@StaffsTransport I've just noticed something. Eric Ralphs, not related to Ian Ralphs by any chance. Wasn't Eric a representative for Wagon Finance back in the early 80's. I remember Ian lived with his parents in Grindley Lane now the memories are coming back. I'd been trying to remember Ian's surname then I read the description under the video. Ian and I worked at the same place in the early 80's. He won't remember me but I remember the day he chucked burning petrol all over me. I rolled on the floor to put it out not realising that the boss's dog had pooped on the grass. Oh how we laughed... Health and safety, pah lol. My mum and dad still live in Blythe 😊

[@StaffsTransport]

@@PurityVendetta Nigel Allan. I set you on fire at DKN in 1982. I still recall it. The fumes of the petrol were ignited before I had realised what was happening. You rolled around on the lawn covered in Doberman poo. Crazy days! I just posted a picture of you and Tweedy in the old workshop in Tean, on Facebook "Stoke on Trent Past And Present". My dad is long passed away but luckily this old film survived as I had my own copy. This is my KZbin account, so stay in touch. I remember all the days at DKN with Kevin, and Steve Kirkham, Dave "Rabbit", Derek, and Chris Copestake. I recall your family in Trentham too. Happy days. Regards, Ian

[@PurityVendetta]

@@StaffsTransport Hi Ian, lovely to meet you again after so many years. Hope all is good with you, things have changed so much for me but I'm very happy and living not too far away in North Shropshire. I'm sad to hear your dad passed away, I really liked him. I can remember him telling me he was going to pull the plug on motorcycle finance as the default rate at DKN was over 97%!!! Believe it or not I still make a living out of motorbikes, vintage Nortons now. Love the channel by the way. I have a friend who actually owns 5 or 6 diesel electric locos. I'm not sure but I think they're type 34's. Take care.

[@StaffsTransport]

@@PurityVendetta as long as you're happy then good luck to you. Dad was a decent bloke, he worked for Forward Trust Finance back in the day. It was my mum that ruined our family, she had awful mental illness and made stupid decisions which my dad was too soft to stop. I got thrown out in 1988 because I opened the wrong milk. Such was the madness of my mum. I was made homeless and slept at work! I had a lot of trouble with her, and a few women. I brought my son up myself after he ran away from my ex. He is doing well in life, excelling at school and helping me on the railway. I am happy too, although life has been a rocky road. I saw your old pal Carla Hall the other day! Anyway, stay in touch, and keep smiling. Regards Ian

[@StaffsTransport]

thanks. Will get on to the airfield cine film pretty soon :-)

[@bifta89]

38.9p for a litre of petrol my word how its changed! Great video Ian

[@StaffsTransport]

hey thanks

[@StaffsTransport]

thanks so much :-)

[@StaffsTransport]

I have some BBC footage of Staffordshire Potteries on The Money Program but it is very brief. Still trawling the archives :-)

[@damianbailey6258]

love it

[@mandylwere]

very nice trip :) sweet memories for you my Ian xxxxxx sure you will be missing him. pls remember that his love is always with you dear xxx

[@StaffsTransport]

thanks my beautiful Ting Ting xxxxxxxxxxx

[@StaffsTransport]

haha, yes, very similar voice Linz, glad you enjoyed the film. It is getting plenty of views now which is really great :-)

[@gl4nn]

5:36 Issues with pot holes in the city back in 1989, too.

[@StaffsTransport]

I rode a motorcycle in those days and there were a few around but we didn't moan about them as much.

[@belfrymanfilms]

Nice film. Look forward to the tiger moth.

[@darrenburnfan]

Turning left into Commerce Street at 6:03, we can see the long gone PMT bus station and next to it the former ABC Empire cinema which burned down on New Year's Eve, 1992. Historic footage.

[@StaffsTransport]

Can't believe the response. thanks for watching

[@StaffsTransport]

Look forward to it Chris. Hope things are good with you Chris. Long time no see.

[@AJGeeTV]

My favourite chippy in Normacot at 4:15.

[@linziekam5962]

Gosh Ian doesn't Dave sound just like your dad I had to listen a few minutes in before I realised it was your dad. ;0) great recording I remember it do well.

[@StaffsTransport]

Glad you enjoyed it, I can hardly believe the response, thanks for viewing :-)

[@VypaGaming]

Woah on the way to longton from meir is soooooo different

[@Tonks143]

What a pity what they did to Meir! I never knew

[@VypaGaming]

I clicked on this video to see the differences from then to now

[@nikiferrari2091]

Excellent video… I was only 10 when this was recorded but I remember it very well. Have things changed for the better? I’m not too sure about that. I still think the original M64 plan would have been a much better decision.

[@baineglondeck411]

Unfortunately, you did not make it to the bit i really wanted to see. further down, over the railwayline in blythe bridge and a couple of hundred yards on, on the left is cheadle road (leading into forsbrook). just up there on the left (at the entrance to the schools) are a pair of semi-detached houses, this is where i was born in 1971. We used to get the train to longton to go shopping, also mum n dad would take us to that old cinema in normacot (gone now). Me grandad lived on mount road, and worked in the security building on the gates at creda. He would let me and me brother press the buttons to open the lift barriers to let the trucks in, onto the weight bridge next to the gate house. Yer know - if i concentrate hard enough, i even remember the smells from those times and places. I still (literally) dream about those times Great video. bought back some great memories. THANK YOU. i love S-O-T

[@a-g3003]

Baine Glondeck yea so if you could please re film lol, I know what you mean, kind of makes you wish we'd all taken more videos of driving around.

[@paulberry8653]

Great film, also enjoyed looking at all the "old" cars you just don't see anymore. What's the car the films being taken from - sounds like a 2ltr twin cam?

[@StaffsTransport]

paul berry Alpha of some sort, not sure

[@shaunbodman2062]

do you have any footage of Sandon Road/Sandon Old Road?

[@eurovegan]

Is that Surherland Crescent at the end?

[@angusmeigh5141]

This is before the Longton by pass was built.

[@mrtracy6398]

god thats taken me back ,great film .by the way whot car was your father driving

[@StaffsTransport]

Alpha Romao I think :-)

[@four-twenty4205]

What used to be where tesco is in Longton? Great video by the way

[@StaffsTransport]

Normid Hypermarket was where Tesco is now. Before that it was railway sidings.

[@StaffsTransport]

Feel free to share it, the more the better :-)

[@SimonSeabridgeSnookerCoaching]

Hi. Do you remember what date and time this was done?

[@StaffsTransport]

September 1989

[@G-Dogg98]

Shouldn’t be on ya phone whilst driving 🙄😉😂 wonder what camera was used

[@StaffsTransport]

Recorded with VHS video recorder by the passenger

[@kingdanieltj6106]

time stamp meir and longton plz

[@The_Brown_Sedan_Man]

Don't you mean pre A50? Pre A500 we were still in dinosaur territory!!! Cool old vid though!!!

[@ecutechltd]

0:20 ...lock the doors!!

[@StaffsTransport]

hehe... my dad was always like that

[@ecutechltd]

+MrRalphsi I'm originally from Stoke so i can undrstand why! I would have been 10 years old when this was recorded. Nice to look back on what it was like back in the day. Thanks for taking the time to upload this and sorry for your loss.

[@LordFlashheart.11]

How nice it all ised to be. Its like an apocolyptic town now thanks to the governments!

[@annmolloy8600]

Sorry but the camera was very shaky, travelling too fast and very noisy. I could not hear what you were saying. Pls try again with a better camera.

[@StaffsTransport]

It was 32 years ago. My dad now dead and all the roads changed.

[@sinista.productions]

Sound, he’ll just jump back in his time machine 32 years and try again. Some people have no situational awareness.

[@StaffsTransport]

It was filmed on the best camcorder available, when cars were loud, and stereo recording, image stabilization, digital recording, etc were not known. Have to laugh at the comment. My dad would laugh too if he was still alive. The camcorder cost him a fortune lol

[@sinista.productions]

@@StaffsTransport 😂 the dates even in the title, right there in large text. I despair 😂

[@annmolloy8600]

@@StaffsTransport yeah, I’ve still got one of them! I’m so used to seeing GoPro quality these days. I’m now in Australia but grew up in Longton and still love it, I guess it’s the family roots.

[@God-Almighty]

040489 here as a 34 year old