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Review of 2011 on MyTunstall Part 1




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2011 has been an absolutely massive year for our area. This year we’ve seen not just Tunstall but all of Stoke-on-Trent take a kicking as the cuts kick in.

It’s not all been dome and gloom, but there has been a few darker moments than the last year. saying that, I’m only just beginning the article and have yet to go through the archive to find the stand moments from the year.

One that I will be covering is the fight to save Tunstall Pool and the amazing people I met along the way who showed they were ready to fight for something.

2011 also saw a major change in the politics of our City and some new faces appeared, some old faces left, and some older faces reappeared.



Jan 2011
The start of the year started off white and fairly slow. I wrote a guide showing you how easy it is using the internet to get major potholes fixed and reported using fix mystreet. Some big announcements were made for forthcoming events to keep people excited.

A particularly vicious dog attack happened over in packmoor by dogs which have also been sighted around Tunstall Park. The Royal visit by the Earl of Wessex which was pencilled in for March was cancelled.

BS Bikes announced they’d like to like to leave their Sandyford premises and head into Tunstall, into the newfields area, where the old petrol station used to be (work still continues to carry out the move).

One of the biggest scoops to feature on MyTunstall was the house rammed by a lorry in Gordon Road by a lorry, leaving the house with serious damage. As luck would have it the occupants were away on holiday.
I first reported on the site about the weird phone calls I started receiving from the deepest depths of the Asian continent telling me that I had a virus on my PC, which was a obvious scam.

Finally MyTunstall started to gear up in preparations for the forthcoming elections asking readers of the site what questions you want to ask the prospective councillors, standing in the May election.


FEB 2011

The month of demonstrations to cuts  and vampires.
As people realised that time was fast running out for Tunstall Pool,

Gothic vampire drama Blood & Bone China set in viictorian stoke-on-trent showcases it’s  Trailer. Where in Tunstall competition announced offering the winner a chance to be at the premire.

Stoke-on-Trent also lost a local legend as Sam Plank passed away

Another year, another start to the glass smashing in the Bankeyfields park.

I ask Should Stoke on Trent Cities play parks become alcohol free zones? We’ll see how this one plays out during the year.

MARCH 2011

March sees more protests, and sadly the oldest working Victorian pool in the land close for the very last time. A sad loss for Tunstall as the UK's oldest Victorian pool, Tunstall Pool is shut by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Tunstall Pool Protest II - 1st March 2011

MyTunstall embraces facebook.  http://www.facebook.com/mytunstallstoke

Fire in the High Street/corner of Summer Bank Road - Homes on Fire - Tunstall High Street, Summerbank Road UPDATE Aftermath Pictures

Bankeyfields goes green and plans to grow a woodland space - Bankeyfields Estate to benefit from the Woodland Trust tree planting schemes

With the up and coming Royal Wedding (No not Antony to Sashkia, the other one) a
Stoke Councillor Disappointed with the people of Stoke-on-Trent for not doing enough for the Royal Wedding. Which had nothing to do with people put off by needless red tape? Stoke on Trent City council cuts the price of producing a planning notice to put on a Royal Wedding street party

World Premiere of Blood and Bone China - Victorian Stoke-on-Trent is the setting for Blood and Bone China. I went along to the World Premier

Not so much news, but Bankeyfields RA got a new notice board  - Lovely notice board

Bus routes cut, popular with bringing older folk from Packmoor to Tunstall - Save the 96 Bus line from Packmoor to Tunstall, stop the isolation of many 100's of people

Census time - Census questionnaire to be sent to every city household

Sandyford Teenager Clare Jones Wins Young Person of the Year in the Fire Service Awards

Dereth took a photo of the swans which were later shot by scum.

APRIL 2011

April was one of the best months this year for MyTunstall, read on to find out why.

MyTunstall wins an award from it’s peers at Talk About Local 11 for the best Campaign and Video for Tunstall Pool Closing Night Video

Father John put’s together a montage of video’s from the last night of Tunstall pool. Last night at Tunstall Pool, Vicar Dipping and swimmers interviews Video

The Haywood Engineering College Dog Show organised by MyTunstall’s MyBurslem regular Dereth
Haywood Technical College Charity Dog Show + Galleries
Haywood Charity Dog Show Stall Holders



Election time, let the madness begin. One of my biggest concerns about local elections is people just don’t know who they are voting for. I set out to change that by post a set of questions to as many councillors as I could find email addresses for.


Candidate Answers

First announcement of Goldendale flame - Tunstall's Goldendale Valley to receive a new 20meters work of art by award winning artist Wolfgang Buttress

APRIL FOOLS! Stoke on Trent City Council to trial triple yellow lines in key areas of the Tunstall Ward

And finally the Royal Wedding -Watch the Royal Wedding at Christ Church Tunstall

MAY 2011

The Tunstall Focus, is to become a Wickes after Focus goes belly up. A sad day as FOCUS DIY goes into adminsitration, Tunstall Focus to become a Wickes

Royal visit Sandyford Fire Station - Official Opening by royal appointment - Prince Edward Visit (Gallery)

Travellers, travellers and more travellers. Gallery of rubbish left at the temporary Sandyford Gypsy Camp - Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Election Results, out with the old councillors and in with the new as serving Councillors Megan Ryan and Mohamed Matlloob  make way for Councillor Martin Garner and Councillor Lee Wanger in a election where only 30% of the electorate voted. Dave Conway wins the Little Chell and Stanfield ward (incorporating parts of Tunstall) by 15 votes. Cllr Conway goes on to lead the opposition.

Recipe for Chicken Cacciatore.by Guest Blogger Chefgarfy food recipe, and Potteries shopping centre hold a exterminate  Dr Who session by River Island.

The Talisman opens it’s doors again, under new management and a lot of TLC. The Talisman back from the brink

June 2011

Icecream wars as long term icecream man, Sam loses his pitch. West Port Lake resident Ice Cream man Sam, loses out on pitch

Four people arrested after stabbing in King William Street, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent - Police Update

Clare White posts her ideas for raising interest in the Blue Planet - as a Google data centre?

Did the Earth move for you? The Stoke on Trent Earthquake, Sunday morning 10:30 5th June 2011

Bankeyfields RA finally gets something it’s been requesting for years, decent maintenance on the Open-Space.

Asda turns Netto into another Asda store - Asda- why does Tunstall have 2 stores?

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