The Potteries Freedom Pass will allow some passengers to travel for free anytime in a new pilot scheme.

Sunderland pottery history stretches from the early potteries of Newbottle to major works beside the River Wear and the distinctive pink lustreware that became associated with the town. For more than two centuries, Wearside potters produced everything from everyday bowls and cooking vessels to decorated jugs, commemorative pieces and ceramics exported far beyond the region.... The post Sunderland Pottery History – Lustreware And Wearside Potteries appeared first on Wearside Online.

# Free bus travel before 9.30am for older Stoke-on-Trent pass holders from October **Older residents in Stoke-on-Trent will be able to travel for free on local buses before 9.30am on weekdays from October – making it easier to get to medical appointments, see family or do the weekly shop without watching the clock for their bus pass to kick in.** ****THE SIGNAL BRIEF**** ****What’s new:**** The Potteries Freedom Pass will allow older people's bus pass holders in Stoke-on-Trent to travel free before 9.30am on weekdays. ****By the numbers:**** The pilot runs from Monday 5 October 2026 until 31 March 2027. ****Worth knowing:**** Participating operators are D&G Bus, First Potteries, Scraggs and Stantons of Stoke. The scheme will be funded within the council’s existing concessionary fares budget. The city council has approved a new local enhancement to the government-funded English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), allowing older people's pass holders to travel free before 9.30am Monday-Friday from Monday 5 October 2026, as part of a pilot running until 31 March 2027. The Potteries Freedom Pass initiative follows the successful introduction of free pre-9.30am travel for disabled bus pass holders in September 2025 and forms part of the council's ongoing commitment to improving accessibility, reducing transport costs and supporting independent living. Under the national ENCTS scheme, eligible older and disabled pass holders currently receive free bus travel after 9.30am on weekdays and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays. The new Potteries Freedom Pass means older people's pass holders will now be able to travel free at any time, on any day of the week, across participating local bus services in Stoke-on-Trent. By introducing the scheme, Stoke-on-Trent City Council becomes one of only a handful of local authorities in England to fund unlimited travel for those residents of state pension age. The city council has reached an agreement with local bus operators – D&G Bus, First Potteries, Scraggs and Stantons of Stoke – to deliver the enhancement, which will be supported by a joint marketing campaign to encourage greater use of public transport. ## Sign up for The Staffordshire Signal Weekly Staffordshire’s free, quality, digital newspaper - plus a monthly print magazine, local news, and events. Reader-funded, business-supported, and 100% non-profit Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, Cabinet Member for Growth, Regeneration and Transport at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: > "We are committed to making it easier and more affordable for people to travel across Stoke-on-Trent, and I'm delighted that we are now able to extend this additional support to older people's bus pass holders. > > "We know that many residents need to travel earlier in the day for medical appointments, volunteering opportunities, employment, shopping and other essential activities. Removing the cost barrier for early morning journeys will help people remain independent, stay connected and access the services they need. > > "The introduction of free pre-9.30am travel for disabled pass holders has been well received and the Potteries Freedom Pass builds on that success. We will continue to work closely with our bus operators and monitor passenger numbers as the scheme develops. > > "This sits alongside the £2 bus fare cap and the upcoming 24/7 free travel for disabled pass holders from April, as part of a wider package to make bus travel more affordable and accessible right across the city. > > "We want to encourage more residents to choose the bus whenever possible. Not only does this help people save money, but it also supports our wider ambitions around accessibility, sustainability and reducing social isolation." The council has confirmed that the Potteries Freedom Pass will be met within the existing concessionary fares budget. Support local journalism #### Help us grow the Signal Every tip goes towards expanding what we cover, more reporters, more events, more of Staffordshire's stories told properly. If this was worth reading, help us do more of it. Every contribution supports reporting, photography, and storytelling across the county. ### Join The Staffordshire Signal on WhatsApp Never miss a single breaking update, local news story, community event, or deep dive. See everything happening in Staffordshire first, straight to your phone! Get Instant Updates

_Dear Readers,_ _Monday was World News Day, when more than a thousand newsrooms across the world said the same thing on the same day: facts matter, and so do the people who go and get them. For the first time, a small county newsroom from Staffordshire was on that list. We wrote about why we signed up, what AI means for local news, and the eight things you can do to keep a newsroom like ours alive. If you read one thing of ours this week that isn't strictly news, make it that one._ _Something else worth telling you. The Staffordshire Signal has been accepted onto the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service, which means we can now draw on council and public service reporting from across the county alongside our own. You'll spot the first of it in the Fulford Primary story below, and there will be more._ _This week: Stoke-on-Trent gets its first ever book festival and we've written the guide to it, the New Vic wants local people (and anyone who can hand paint a plate) for Rachel Shenton's Gladstone Girls, Beartown are turning the old Signal Box at Goods Yard into a taproom, Gnosall is officially the best kept village in Staffordshire, and VisitEngland has been round with a clipboard and rather liked what it saw._ _On a personal note, I attended the Stoke Book Festival launch briefing and came away with a notebook full of things I hadn't expected, including that most of the people running it are doing so in their spare time, and that the festival logo was briefly mistaken for a Slinky. Full guide below. Buy a ten pound ticket, and you're paying for a toddler in Bentilee to have a free morning of songs. That is the sort of maths I can get behind._ _Until next Wednesday._ _Jenna_ ## Want to read this? Here's how... This post is free to read, but it's locked to readers who've joined us for free. Add your email below and you'll unlock it straight away, plus every future edition of ****The Staffordshire Signal Weekly**** , our newspaper, every Wednesday, and ****The Staffordshire Signal Magazine**** , sent directly to your inbox. No card, no catch, and no algorithm deciding whether you see it or not, we send it to you directly. This is only possible because Staffordshire people like you read it. Unlock this post, free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. * * * ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

****THE SIGNAL BRIEF**** ****What’s new:**** The New Vic Theatre is recruiting adults aged 18 and over for its __Gladstone Girls__ Community Theatre Company, with opportunities both on stage and behind the scenes. ****Worth knowing:**** Previous acting experience is not essential. The theatre also wants to hear from people with pottery decorating skills who could share their knowledge with the cast. ****What’s next:**** Expressions of interest close on Sunday 22 November 2026. The production runs from Saturday 6 to Saturday 27 February 2027. The skill, friendship and determination of Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery workers are at the heart of _Gladstone Girls_. Now, the New Vic is inviting local people to help tell that story. Written by Rachel Shenton, known for _The Silent Child_ and _All Creatures Great and Small_ , the play follows a group of women whose treasured factory tradition comes under threat. Every Friday, the skilled lithographers turn their work room into a bustling hair salon as they prepare for a night out at the local nightclub. But when the floor manager tries to put an end to Curl Friday, the women respond with a peaceful protest that reaches far beyond the factory walls. Blending humour, history and warmth, the production celebrates working women and their determination to stand up for something that matters to them. Rachel Shenton ## A chance to take to the stage The New Vic is looking for adults aged 18 and over to join a community company that will help recreate the working world of Gladstone Pottery. You do not need previous performing experience to put yourself forward. The theatre is looking for people who feel comfortable on stage and are ready to take on the challenge. It offers local residents an opportunity to be part of a production rooted in the industry that helped shape Stoke-on-Trent, representing the people whose craft and skill filled its factories. ## Sign up for The Staffordshire Signal Weekly Staffordshire’s free, quality, digital newspaper - plus a monthly print magazine, local news, and events. Reader-funded, business-supported, and 100% non-profit Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Sharing the skills of the Potteries There is also an opportunity for people with pottery industry experience to contribute away from the spotlight. The theatre is particularly interested in hearing from anyone with skills in slide-on lithography, banding, stippling or hand painting ceramics. With the action taking place in Gladstone’s decorating room during the working day, those joining the company behind the scenes will be invited to share their knowledge and practical skills with the acting cast. That experience will help the production portray the working lives of pottery decorators authentically. ## From podcast to theatre _Gladstone Girls_ is based on the original scripted podcast from Slick Films, created and written by Shenton and directed by fellow Oscar winner Chris Overton. The podcast premiered at the Tribeca Festival, where it was nominated for The Independent Audio Fiction Award. Its cast included Anna Madeley, Dot Atkinson, Adrian Rawlins, Rachel Shenton and Freddie Fox. The New Vic production brings the story to the stage in February 2027. ## How to get involved Expressions of interest in the Community Theatre Company must be submitted by **Sunday 22 November 2026**. Full details about the opportunities and how to take part are available in the New Vic’s community company information pack. _Gladstone Girls_ runs at the New Vic Theatre, Etruria Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, from **Saturday 6 to Saturday 27 February 2027**. Tickets cost **£17.50 to £44** and can be booked through the New Vic website or by calling **01782 717962**. Support local journalism #### Help us grow the Signal Every tip goes towards expanding what we cover, more reporters, more events, more of Staffordshire's stories told properly. If this was worth reading, help us do more of it. Every contribution supports reporting, photography, and storytelling across the county. ### Join The Staffordshire Signal on WhatsApp Never miss a single breaking update, local news story, community event, or deep dive. See everything happening in Staffordshire first, straight to your phone! Get Instant Updates

Work is continuing at the Hanley facility

Text by Katherine Ellis • Photography by John O’Hagan The lovely black-and-white floral pattern on the Grimwades Peony teapot by Royal Winton is bound to attract attention when placed in an autumnal teatime setting. Since 1885, Royal Winton has produced exquisite fine bone china in The Potteries of Stoke-on-Trent, England. The brand’s first chintz design […]