Crafts and Indusrty - Hidden Stoke, A Walk & Exhibition

Majestic Studios is a co-working space for artists and creatives in Stoke-on-Trent.  The space has wifi, hot water, heating, a kitchenette and a great group of resident artists. They put out an open call for artists to participate in an exhibition called "Hidden". B2B project coordinator and artist Carole Miles decided it would be good to participate and to link it to a walk looking at the traces of craft and industry around the Majestic Studios, the venue for the exhibition.

Main street view

Quiet studio spaces

Hidden organiser and multi talented artist Christine Reader made us very welcome and discussed her  Art Lunches and walks.

Some of Chris's sun print textile pieces which 

explore many aspects of life and wellbeing

Carole's work delivered and waiting to be hung

The Walk

Everywhere you look in Stoke-on-Trent there is evidence of craft and industry, a proud past, , the beauty and poignance of what was, the troubling jumble of what is and an optimistic, creative ever changing future. Many things ended but there is much to see, think about and enjoy.

Almost hidden, a weathered sculpture from the 1986 Stoke  Garden Festival "Hand with Chronos" by Vincent Woropay

In 1986 Carole was working as a playground planner for Wicksteed Leisure and remembers hearin about the Garden Festival from the Wicksteed rep Brian Baggley, having studied sculpture, she was very curious about the Festival but sadly did not get the chance to visit. You can see the list of artist involved here and many images here. The Hand sculpture can be found quitely counting time on the Stoke railway station platform.

View of the Trent and Mersey Canal

The long view of the former Co-Operative Building

and the detail

on Liverpool Rd you can see it in the distance in the 1932 Postcardand in the more recent photo here

Street signs show some of the many changes

Tiles and arches

Evidence of a proud industrial history

 from the Minton Hollins Tile Works

 more tiles peeking out

Weathered windows

 Evocative curves, reminders

of a glamourous past.

Ghost signs and times

1908

2.10

One of the Famous Lions has lost his head

Jackson's Buildings has the date 1899 and decorative panels on the façade that depict the face of the Green Man surrounded by foliage, one shows him with a closed mouth, the other with a open mouth. Smaller panels have foliate decoration, and another bears the name 'JACKSON BUILDINGS'

Above the door there is a decorative sign that is inscribed 'SUTHERLAND CHAMBERS' The small Christadelphian Ecclesia in North Staffordshire was formed in 1910 and worshipped originally on the first floor of Sutherland Chambers, High Street, Stoke

Stoke Minster - The dedication to St Peter ad Vincula means "Saint Peter in Chains"

The old parish church of Stoke upon Trent had been demolished in 1830 and some of its stone used to form the bed of a watercourse serving Boothen Mill. Charles Lynam discovered these in 1881 and used them to reconstruct two arches and other features of the old church, set up on the site of the old church.

All  things pass

but the Welcome remains

 St Peter's Community Mosaic by Philip Hardaker and Helen Sayer

All technologies change, so much change since 2000

but craft makes a more lasting impression

and if you look up you may be surprised at what you see

The former Library and Shakespeare Institute, London Rd

"Libraries gave us Power" Manic Street Preachers

The Exhibition

Branching Out - East Carlton Park

History of the East Carlton Hall and Park

Carolyn leading our mindfulness meditation

After closing our eyes, focussing on breathing 

we became more relaxed in our den-like woodland space

Carole brought out materials for intervention

inviting us to choose three different coloured paper circles which we cut and decorated then shaped and pieced together to create flower forms. 

We added them to garden sticks and moved logs and twigs to create a secret garden to planted our paper flowers. 

Mindfulness Secret Garden

We discussed how we sometimes felt

and turned our backs on our troubles

We had permission to leave the flowers for others to find and we headed off to explore other parts of the park

We discovered one of the many intriguing carved wooden sculptures on the Story Trail that punctuates the park walking trails.

Just beyond this point we discovered an Owl

We asked him to direct us to a good place for our picnic, he made no reply but we did find a sheltering tree just before the rain came. We didn't mind getting a little damp as the walk had give us a hearty appetite! Below are links to some of he things we discovered.

Mysterious twisty tree

Oak Galls

A path to the trees

Bracket Fungi or Polypore

Threats to Horse Chestnut Trees

Infected Horse Chestnut Leaves

To print off park leaflets click on the title:

• The Lavender Lady
• The Kings Folly Cartoon Leaflet
• The Hall - The Hall unfortunately is not open to the public but can be viewed from the park.  The present Hall, built in 1863 on the site of the previous Hall is thought to be the third Hall on this site.  Like all old buildings, it does have a ghost who has on occasions been known to visit the Old Coach House (refer to The Lavender Lady leaflet).

Further information about the Park, cafe, workshops and events plus volunteering opportunities follow the link