The pubs of Stoke are numerous, and each has its own fascinating tale to tell. While many have been lost due to time, money or misfortune, the stories and memories live on. As one of the key centres of the Industrial Revolution, the development of Stoke-on-Trent into the expanded city we know today was heavily influenced by this major event. In fact, it was the development of the Potteries industry in particular that had a lasting effect on Stoke. The introduction of such big industries brought about major population growth in the town, and the workers and growing communities needed a place to socialise and relax. Well researched and beautifully illustrated, Stoke-on-Trent Pubs takes a journey through the city’s inns and taverns, stopping off for a pint, a chat and a bit of history along the way.

Mervyn Edwards is the author of many published books on North Staffordshire history and is a weekly columnist for the Sentinel’s The Way We Were nostalgia magazine. He has appeared on BBC TV’s The One Show and Twenty Four Hours in the Past, and is a familiar voice on Radio Stoke. He was a local history tutor for the Workers’ Educational Association for eight years and helped to develop the education department at the now-defunct Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum, where he often acted in period drama for school groups. Mervyn runs an annual history programme in North Staffordshire. He is also MC of Burslem History Club and a member of the Potteries branch of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA).