Stepping Back in Time Hanley

[@EM-wd2vg]

As a child and teenager of the seventies Hanley was a magical place, a real treat to be taken to by your parents. Thanks for this, brought back many memories.

[@Mark-ms5pn]

Really ?

[@murdock6450]

Simple people those potters

[@skylined5534]

@@murdock6450 Not as simple as you though it seems.

[@skylined5534]

@@Mark-ms5pn Yes, really. You clearly weren't about then so why comment?

[@murdock6450]

@@skylined5534 wishful thinking

[@chrisbebbington598]

It breaks your heart to see what they've done to this once wonderful town. The planners and architects involved should hang their head in shame. However, one suspects they were all so arrogant that they remained not in the slightest aware of the grotesque act of vandalism they had wrought on this once magnificent place. One hears so much nowadays about how to draw more people into Hanley - the tragedy is that if they hadn't beggared about with it, people would still be flocking there in their droves.

[@MrGrtx]

You have decades of a labour run council to thank for most of it

[@chrisparkes2179]

What the city needs most is what it's almost impossible to get - its industry. Losing the potbanks, Michelin and Shelton Bar is what ruined the city.

[@skylined5534]

@@MrGrtx It's nothing to do with their 'colour', they're all corrupt scumbags out to get what they can.

[@skylined5534]

@@chrisparkes2179 There's little left now that's true. It's become a city of warehouses peddling ware from overseas. And we wonder why we're so badly off.

[@chrisparkes2179]

@@skylined5534 Worse still, the stores here sell only Chinese crockery when we've still got some pot banks left that they could buy from.

[@bramolini4835]

I was taken away to Yorkshire in 1969 through my Dads work , but I remember Lewis's (?) with the huge metal guy on the outside . There was an old guy selling gyroscopes just inside the entrance . They also had an enormous 8 lane Scalectrix upstairs at one time , with a competition and prizes for the fastest times .

[@philglover2973]

The metal guy is still here 😷👤

[@chrisparkes2179]

Lewis's toy department. Heaven on Earth to my six year old self.

[@PurityVendetta]

A beautiful town destroyed by a corrupt council and the tory ideology of devastating industry. I have magical memories of places like Huntbach's department store and Lewis's Restaurant on the top floor as a treat with my grandma. Good people who have been badly let down.

[@markfox1545]

'Tory idea of devastating industry'? What moronic leftwing fuckwittery is THAT?! It's Labour who'd prefer to have no one working and everyone on benefits. Let me hazard a guess - you don't work, do you and you vote Labour?

[@L0stJ0hnny]

@@markfox1545 - if you're not among the wealthiest 5% and yet vote for the Tories, then you're the one who is a moronic fuckwit. Keep doffing your cap to your Eton educated lords and masters - they'll still despise you and just consider you a useful idiot.

[@beatlebrian4404]

@@L0stJ0hnny So right mate I feel sick to my stomach, how the Tories have conned the working class, but what do you expect when they bye the Sun and watching Sky news, brainwashing them everyday, puppets of Rupert Murdoch, it's just the same today, when the Media, tell them what a good job the government is doing in rolling out the vaccinations, conveniently forgetting all the mistakes they made, resulting in all those deaths, mate they have got blood on their hands.

[@chrisparkes2179]

@@beatlebrian4404 It was the Tory economic policies in the eighties that destroyed manufacturing in this country. High pound and high interest rates. All that mattered to them was to crush the unions and make money for investment bankers and landowners. And what did Labour do? Squabbled among themselves about why they were losing votes. We've been forced into a situation where neither party is good for the country and the only alternative is the Liberal party who'd say anything and sell their own grandmothers for a whiff of power. In the meantime the country circles the drain.

[@skylined5534]

@@markfox1545 The real 'fuckwitery' is assuming any government is better or worse than its opposition. Remember on, they're all heartless bastards out to make what they can and hopefully polish their egos on the way.

[@daviddawson8361]

Home now in Australia ,Four children born in Shelton . Hanley was our world ! David Dawson

[@johnfellows2867]

I was born just after the war, and can remember when Hanley really was an amazing place !!

[@seanwhalley2293]

I came to life in Stoke On Trent about 76 my family are from Stoke and even how long I have lived here Hanley at one time you could not move it was full of life . Well most of Stoke On Trent was

[@michaelbrian219]

I used to love to visiting Webberlys book shop and stationers, the model shop that was attached to Peppers garage on Piccadilly, Motts Camera Shop, Hanley was a great place. It has now got the same was as every other town, a great pity, let us hope that all of these towns will like the Phoenix rise from the ashes.

[@johnbarthram2761]

Always remember the big indoor market in Longton just superb. Build me a time machine I want to go back !!!!!!!!!!!!! .

[@chrishowell9821]

I remember that, nothing you couldn't get from there, dots sweet stall, i wonder if thats still open? They messed longton up when they started to rebuild everything.

[@skylined5534]

@@chrishowell9821 Longton, a stronghold of big consumers ruining it for the smaller shops but if you want Turkish or Asian hair cuts it's the place to go.

[@winstonpoole9906]

So many good memories, thanks very much.

[@dsgbmatt]

Not been into Hanley since about 2004, looking at the recent pictures it’s a god damm shame what’s happened to the place. I was born and bred in stoke but it saddens me so much what it’s become

[@cephalotus59]

Notice how at 2.28 how much better it looks without all the street signage - more spacious and elegant.

[@knightowl3577]

My first job was in Hanley and many happy hours were spent there. It almost bought tears to my eyes thinking about how Hanley used to be, and the terrible soulless mess it has now become.

[@michaelbrian219]

The story of many towns and cities destroyed by corrupt councils with no forethought other than backhanders and what’s in it for them. We deserve so much better.

[@dianabriggs1512]

Looks so nice in the past, buildings were beautiful. Not like the ugly ones we have now. Plus there looked a lot of decent shops, ones that were thriving. Not as they are now. Boarded up.

[@john111257]

idle smart shoppers, nothing like taking the kids around to do your weekly shop. The parents order in their PJS, great example

[@PrzekornaDusza]

I came to England in 2004. The streets were cleaner lots of shops and everything was cheaper. Now everything is very expensive after Brexit, people have no jobs, they look like after the war.

[@cephalotus59]

Britain was known as a nation of shopkeepers - now that rates and rents on shops are so high, and the shop owners no longer live above or behind the shop - the multinationals have taken over.

[@snazzyquizzes2336]

Wow ... That was a surprisingly powerful video.

[@david-lt9wj]

I remember when you had an afternoon in stoke town....before the rise of the Hanley crown..

[@chrisparkes2179]

Likewise Tunstall and Burslem.

[@david-lt9wj]

I remember Shirley 's record shop my neighbour worked there..

[@chrisparkes2179]

I think autocorrect has renamed the store in your comment.

[@johntomlinson8977]

Thank you for the memories

[@Claire90409]

So sad to see how many beautiful buildings were torn down. :-(

[@philglover2973]

I used to work at John Tetley's fruits and vegetables in the late seventies good old days 🇬🇧😷🇬🇧😷

[@Samuel2k10]

Thank you so much for making this available again!

[@kdri155]

Thanks for that, although I don't know Hanley well I can certainly appreciate the heritage and character long since lost to the town.

[@angusmeigh5141]

I can remember Tiko cake shops! And Halfords bicycle shop in Town Road.

[@davearmstrong2296]

I remember when Lewis's was there and had two large manned lifts towards the back of the store to get upstairs. WH Smiths and BHS were nearby and who remembers the Bratt and Dykes shop, also with a manned lift? Bourne Sports was another great shop. And there was a fantastic sweet shop in one of the old precincts. Hanley has lost a lot of its' atmosphere.

[@cephalotus59]

And for book lovers Webberleys was a real treat.

[@chrisparkes2179]

@@cephalotus59 The art department at Webberley's was amazing.

[@chrisparkes2179]

I remember the bloke with the disabled arm who manned one of the lifts. I hope he was ok after the lifts went "self service".

[@AliWildDog]

Wish they'd have left it like that

[@skylined5534]

I was shocked to find out fountain Square actually had working fountains! Hanley used to be such a great place. It's a wreck now.

[@john111257]

fabulous montage

[@roystoddard1247]

What a great video thanks for posting.

[@peterfrancis149]

Hanley now. What a shame it used to be a thriving town all the other five towns did also. You could shop anywhere and the people were always very friendly. Come to 2017 and it's dead. All big stores are going or have gone. The business rates system has put paid to them now, and all big stores are going on line. Sad to see your own town go to the dogs. People say it's inevitable with on line sales killing all town centres. Charity shops, expensive ones at that, continental supermarkets, pawn brokers, and numerous kebab shops blight Hanley now. I believe the only thing the Council can do to address this problem is give large stores 3 years rates free and bring the shopping centre experience back to Hanley, the people of Stoke deserve that much. The people's of Stoke want very busy town centres not ghost towns. It could all be reversed if there is the political will from Stoke Council. Could we bring free parking to Hanley for 12 months. Could we also bring the Christmas lights back for our festive Christian Christmas.

[@OblivionGate]

My mum and dad were from Stoke-on-Trent although I grew up just outside of Bristol so never visited their hometown but my mum was from Hanley and my dad was from Burslem, shame I never went to visit it in its heyday ☹️. Is Burslem near Hanley? My parents never really said.

[@peterfrancis149]

Yes Hanley is only a mile from Burslem. But a million miles from how it used to be 20 years ago. Shame town centres are closing down even more so with covid. When the internet finally collapses then there will be no where to go, because town centres wont exist.

[@chrisparkes2179]

@@OblivionGate Hanley was the big shopping area when I was little, but Burslem had posher independent shops. It was a special thing to go to Burslem. Almost impossible to believe now. The last time I went to Burslem it was pure desolation.

[@robertganner2860]

It was a magical place for me when I was a young lad, getting on the Crosville bus from Crewe to go to the place nightclub. Now Crewe is just as bad now if not worse all the life is being washed away from all these cities and Towns it's an absolute Disgrace the council need to be hung from a gibbet for all to see. Thanks for the memories.

[@4N50N]

Crewe definitely ain't worse

[@elizabethlewington3682]

What a wonderful place it used to be in the 70s/80s / 90 s Brilliant place to be 😊

[@jillsmith5303]

Crying like a newborn watching this. Whatever has happened to our city?

[@chrisparkes2179]

Bad governments and bad councils, especially in the eighties. It's as if both Tories and Labour had a grudge against us.

[@donnadean5395]

God the nostalgia

[@Sophgwen]

This is amazing. Thank you

[@hh-ck3yw]

Hi

[@raydillon4555]

What we call now the good old days

[@swordstoke]

Nice one! Enjoyed that thanks.

[@acave2897]

Wow. What were the town planners of the last 50 yrs thinking? If only they kept the front façade of these old buildings they allowed to be tore down.

[@rogermoore-gd9do]

The improvements to Hanley are there for all to see.

[@dougallerton3716]

Thanks for the memories! What is that beautiful music?

[@davidbourne6736]

Janet Leslie and it's called Dreamsong

[@dougallerton3716]

David Bourne Thank you. Brilliant........Keep the nostalgia coming.

[@karentaft7102]

oo the memories

[@philrogers4535]

Hanley is now an unpleasant place to be, and therefore, no future.

[@ultimatesoccershow]

Memories!

[@davehazeldene4091]

I’m from Hanley and I love it!! Yes it is a shit hole it looked better in the 1800’s but it is what it is I’m proud of coming from here 👍🏻😘

[@maggieadams8600]

It's sad to see it actually got uglier as it got cleaner, and it's personality disappeared completely. I remember when I was little in Adderley Green, I used to play where there was a pond with newts and stickle backs in it. There were blackberry bushes and miles and miles of broken pottery, and a big dust hill we used to fly down on on pieces of fibre glass for fun all day as children Then the council flattened it all and made it into boring old playing fields! What lack of vision and imagination they had then, and still suffer from now by the looks of things.

[@maggieadams8600]

Economics will bite the dust and nature will reclaim it on the plus side! :)

[@CarboKill]

I've lived in Adderley Green all my life, and there's still blackberry bushes here...they're just right next to an industrial estate and fenced off land currently being flattened by a polish company. Very depressing. Still, my mother goes and picks blackberries whenever they're available, and I've seen others do it too.

[@dragonxv4737]

When the markets go it’s as if a cancer is cast on a town. As if it’s the beginning of the end. I’ve seen this happen several times. I think town planners need to rethinking things........if, it’s not to late👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@UhtredRagnarsson1949]

I definitely prefer the old model. Where has all that beautiful architecture gone to.

[@AB.61]

How the hell did we manage to make it look worse !

[@skylined5534]

No idea but they did!

[@tallslimguy]

I love before and after photos - Much prefer the elegant before photos to the bland concrete after photos - almost a crime when they knocked historic buildings down - Now they can’t pull the 1960’ and 1970’s buildings down because they are full of asbestos 😢

[@timblackwood1531]

Council have a lot to answer for......also the pottery bosses who striped the city of it wealth.

[@samanderson4850]

Too bloody right 🙄 Just greed

[@chrisparkes2179]

It wasn't the pottery bosses who did that. It was the London and foreign based equity firms who pounced on the companies as they got into difficulties, shut the factories and moved the companies to the far East to make money for their shareholders. I worked in a related organisation at the time and the pottery bosses did all they could to keep going in the city. They had worked their ways up through the companies and cared very much about them.

[@adamwhite2121]

Why do people think everything old is bad or ugly and everything new is good and beautiful? Hanley today is most definitely not good or beautiful.

[@clairecheskin4213]

no spikey man on lewis's?

[@natejohnsonesqubar4201]

claire cheskin there is

[@roddersfiftynine]

Every year the Santa grotto ! Memories !

[@chrisparkes2179]

@@roddersfiftynine The Lewis's Christmas window displays!

[@chrisparkes2179]

They're showing things that are gone now. Spiky man is still there, and long may he be so.

[@AugustusClara]

David, Janet Leslie, Dreamsong, I've searched everywhere for this piece of music and can't find it. Where did you find it?

[@nicholasdickens2801]

What a shame Hanley lost *all* its soul.

[@paulmccafferty2447]

I know this is Hanley, but does anyone remember a pub that used to be on the strand in Longton, it was a small pub and Im thinking maybe opposite the old Bevans record shop, not the two bigger pubs further down, I'm sure it was opposite Bevans. If you can help, could you let me know. Thanks.

[@skylined5534]

I have no idea but I'll ask my brother as he'd remember! Was it maybe near Steel's Arcade?

[@CAROLNA]

hi thanks for message born of S O T though escaped 50 years ago cas in DORSET

[@paulryder1204]

Look how many people were around years ago compared to today. It was a joy to go shopping in Hanley,it's now just a shit hole.

[@skylined5534]

I remember going up there for Christmas shopping with my family in the early 80s... it always felt special! It is as you say a shit hole now and it hurts to see it like that.

[@gregwoolliscroft6255]

What on earth have we done to our towns and cities?

[@adriandavies4012]

The future of Hanley?,,,,, it hasn't got one

[@cycleSCUBA]

I it Henley looks so different to as i remember.

[@neilwarr5685]

Hanley was ruined in the sixties looked nice years ago had charm all gone now

[@chrisparkes2179]

The old bus station was seen as a wonderful thing at the time. People thought it was a break from the dirt and grime of the heavily polluted past. Smokeless kilns had allowed clean air and the bus station symbolised a smart, affluent and clean future. People went to Hanley just to see it and East Precinct. You could buy postcards of the bus station. Even in the eighties and early nineties, East Precinct was a nice place to visit. Before it became an unofficial skateboard park then a hang out for junkies, drunks and scutters who used the underpass as a toilet, dealing place and dormitory.

[@fiswis2]

Wow... They have fucked up Hanley :-(

[@janetjones1810]

Too many beggers on the streets, spoiling the town, Hanley a disgrace to stoke on trent,

[@VeganoGuy]

You mean the rest of the city isn't a disgrace?

[@skylined5534]

@@VeganoGuy Compared to say London? No it isn't.

[@VeganoGuy]

@@skylined5534 Have I touched a sore point Skylined? I feel no need to offended by a city or town. I take responsibilty for me and no-one else.

[@debodevil6974]

Thats Longton market at the start not Hanley

[@snoopyismydog5695]

oh God, what have they done, shameful really

[@fix-and-drive-diy-repairs]

It's sad to see the changes, they ruined the beautiful Hanley.

[@jayceoldacre9702]

things are supposed to improve with time not get worse. trying explain to my younger nephews what hanlwy used to be like mid 90s is impossible, they can't imagine it from how it is now. A deserted ghost town help up by franchise shops, the gay mayor, Mike Wolfe went on a mission to modernise sot and went knocking down anything remotely old and interesting, then ran out of money after he'd destroyed most of the iconic landmarks.

[@tylerb2438]

I go here to work most days. What the actual fuck happened to it? It looked like a beautiful, thriving city all those years ago. These days it's a place to avoid, especially if you intend on keeping your teeth attached to your gums.

[@robsol123]

Such a shame it’s a ghost town now x

[@BehindClosedDoorsMe]

Hi, Do you know where I can get the sheet music for this piece?

[@Mark-ms5pn]

Why a green PMT bus surely that's crosville

[@dazzp2]

When Hanley was great

[@kevindaniels5916]

From a town to a ghost town thanks to poor councils through the years wasting tax payers money on improvements. Trying to make the 5 towns into a city. What a joke. Now plans for the future try to get grants and funding to put a tram system in which they tore out years ago. Joke

[@chrisparkes2179]

But at least the team rails will give the scutters something to pull up to sell to a scrapyard and buy more monkey dust.

[@watteva9380]

Stoke is a right toilet... best they could do is knock it all down.

[@Mark-ms5pn]

Idiot

[@scoppio07]

AB FAB

[@PrzekornaDusza]

I came to England in 2004. The streets were cleaner lots of shops and everything was cheaper. Now everything is very expensive after Brexit, people have no jobs, they look like after the war.

[@briandoyle667]

I dont mind change for the better, but these fools just keep making a mess of everything that was good. They just do what they want without asking the voters!!!

[@marklanders6980]

Depressing.

[@888ssss]

crippling rents killed everything.

[@VictorVictor-hq7ui]

I'm embarrassed to tell people that I originated from here. It's such a toilet now.

[@kyle1stoke4]

h

[@keelyt9357]

And now it’s gone to shit

[@gloooopo]

I see dead people

[@salamattamalasjung713]

I went Hanley yesterday and it was empty . I feel sorry for the people of the potteries, no one cares . Made me think of , the Specials , ghost town

[@natejohnsonesqubar4201]

Salamattamalas Jung went hanley last week and thought exactly the same duck .

[@john111257]

the older ppl shop in shops, when they are gone, the next generation shop online...hence no high street

[@snoopyismydog5695]

sad indeed, long live the potters and their wares, some of the finest ever produced, hardly anyone cares, God bless their efforts

[@nicholasdickens2801]

I heard that as a nine year old child back in the day and that summed up Britain under Thatcher.

[@PrzekornaDusza]

I came to England in 2004. The streets were cleaner lots of shops and everything was cheaper. Now everything is very expensive after Brexit, people have no jobs, they look like after the war.