mou 1 Girls Finishing School at The Mount.

Over the last fifty years I have acquired and transcribed what has become the only and largest collection in the world of the Manor Court Rolls of Manor of Newcastle-under-Lyme which included what is two thirds of Stoke-on-Trent from 1347 – 1927. It is from this extensive archive that an account appears of King Charles II visit to Penkhull.

Following the demise at the castle at Newcastle all manorial courts were held once every three weeks from c1530 in a large farmhouse in Penkhull and what is now known as the Greyhound Inn. No doubt many readers will know that Major General Thomas Harrison, the second in command under Oliver Cromwell was the son of a butcher and born in High Street Newcastle, the site of which is now occupied by the HSBC Bank. There is a brass plaque on the wall to this fact. It was Harrison with others who also signed the death warrant of Charles I.

During the Commonwealth period 1649-1660 Cromwell was designated the Lord Protector and appointed Harrison as the head of the former Royal Manor thereby receiving all rents and court dues. He is frequently mentioned as attending as head of the manor in the court rolls.
After the Restitution of Charles II, Thomas Harrison was executed on Saturday 13 October, 1660. Then Charles ll stayed at the Greyhound Inn whiles intending to do retribution against the family of Harrison – compelling story. two pages

In reality there has been no potters holiday for a number of years as the industrial landscape of the Potteries of thirty years ago has long gone as there are no longer a pottery industry to speak of, no coal mines employing thousands or the Michelin at its height employing over seven thousand employees. To be correct prior to the 1970s the title was the wakes weeks but then lost its significance as all the large industries and the schools of north Staffordshire voted to change the date from the first two weeks in August to the last week in June and the first week in July to become new the potters holiday.  Why, because the weather patterns had changed, and early August became consistent with bad weather. Before the 2^nd World War there was only one week’s holiday and that was with no pay until 1937. Two weeks holiday came after the second world war.

But what were the origns?, Well, you’ve read it here first in the Sentinel remember for press reports in 1838 the wakes in Stoke was described as an ancient festival. In fact it dates from Anglo-Saxon times probably the 6^th century when the junction of the Trent and Fowley formed a religious site for pagan worship which incorporated the festival of Lamas, a holiday celebrated on the 1st August.

However, by the late 18th century the religious aspect had been lost and became a time for holidays and enjoyment in all its varities for the working people of Stoke-on-Trent.

More than 136,000 people decided to take a holiday as the fear of it being their last for some years was dominant in their minds. Over 34,000 left the potteries on the Friday and on the Saturday, 52,000 travelled by special trains, 35,000 by ordinary service and 15,000 by coach, car, or cycle. This was even though the weather predictions were not good, but the threat of rain impaired the cheerfulness of the crowded platforms.     Three pages x A4

The cinema was operating silent movies when it opened. At the same time a debate was being held between film directors and actors if to proceed with ‘talkies’ because of the costs and wondered if they would oust the silent picture or even rival the appeal of the theatre. It was only two months following the opening of the Regent that the cinema along with a further sixty of the Gaumont circuit cinemas were equipped with the Western Electric Company’s talking film installation whereby full-length films such as “The Singing Fool” and “Show Boat” could be shown.

The Regent Theatre in Hanley was opened in 1929 and waas the largest and most lavish seating over two thousand partons. It was not long after that the very first ‘Talkie’ in the Potteries was shown at the Regent in July 1929 when “The Singing Fool” starring Al Jolson took to the screen filling the 2134 seats at four performances a day. At the end of the week the demand was so great with constant queues around the block that the management decided to run the film for a further week. This meant that around 26,000 people came to see history in its making at The Regent and to witness actual words and music coming for the first time from actors. I doubt if there was one dry eye as he sang Sonny Boy. The Sentinel reported “Whenever it has been shown enormous crowds have been drawn to see it. It is a remarkable production and has secured almost universal approval. In it Al Jolson is revealed as one of the most powerful emotional actors on the screen”.

Two pages long