Is there anything to do in Staffordshire?

[bytheby]

Deliberately provocative to get you to (hopefully) come and tell me all the wonderful things that there are to do!

DH has an opportunity to work just North of Stafford for 6 weeks over the Summer. I am a SAHM with a 3 year old and we can go along for the ride. I might also persuade my parents to come for a bit too.

The catch is we have to decide very quickly (tomorrow). So what fun things can we do in the area when we won't have any friends etc to meet! If my parents come I'm also hoping to get some good food etc so hit me with the best pubs and restaurants etc.

Anything!

Where do you live at the moment OP?

I agree with the things already said but will add that you must enjoy being in BBC Midlands Today tv area. It is the absolute best local TV ever. Professional but still cheesy local stuff at times. Their presenter Shefali is absolute top class.

The B'Oatcake is indeed fabulous!

@Mykittensmittens indeed, it's supposedly only closed until they find someone new to take over www.granvilles.st/

B'oatcake boat is amazing, there is a facebook page to follow it to find out where it is.

You can visit my ducks 😂

Loving the other B’Oatcake followers. If you track it to the Trent &Mersey and Staffs & Worcs canal junction during your stay you can tick off quite a few other places and it’s often accompanied by the Barge-in Booze boat and other trade boats - who could ask for more!

@CCC1

Loving the other B’Oatcake followers. If you track it to the Trent &Mersey and Staffs & Worcs canal junction during your stay you can tick off quite a few other places and it’s often accompanied by the Barge-in Booze boat and other trade boats - who could ask for more!

There's a sweet one that started up in Lockdown too, that's amazing.

Gladstone pottery museum, my kids have loved it there since they were little...with the added bonus of the toilet museum on the same premises! Cafe, pot making.

Cannock Chase gruffalo trail
Conkers
Alton Towers
Drayton Manor Park
Lichfield

Chasewater railway

It's about an hour's drive to some beautiful places in Shropshire from there.

There's Ironbridge (including Blists Hill Victorian Town), Shrewsbury (very pretty town), Ludlow (Castle and the town itself is nice) and it's generally about like 'The Shire' in Lord of the Rings.

** generally a bit like

In Stafford town centre - the Ancient High House. It's a Tudor building with a museum inside. Some of the exhibits is about the house itself, then there is a rotation on other historic items e.g. WW2. Sometimes there are workshops in there too, covid permitting. Well worth a morning or an afternoon.

A couple of micro-breweries in the town centre too, and a gin bar in the market square area.

Hollybush garden centre is a nice low key outing too just off j11 of m6. Aquarium , fluffy pets and reptiles to wonder round and big new play area. Going further up m6 wheellock farm at sandbach is good day out

And hoo farm!

If you're close enough to get into the peaks there's no end of things to do. Ilam is lovely to visit with little ones. Matlock direction has lots of lovely attractions.

A couple of micro-breweries in the town centre too, and a gin bar in the market square area

Floodgate (micro pub) has closed as has the gin bar. However, The Square which has replaced Pizza Express is getting rave reviews. Candid, which is a short walk from the end of the high street, is a fantastic spot if you like craft beer and pizza. There’s another bar opening under Staffordshire Place shortly and another micro pub opening around the corner.

There is excellent park provision in Stafford, compared to anywhere else I’ve lived. Town park gets busy, understandably, but Wildwood is usually quieter.

I’ll throw in a recommendation for Pretty Pots in Milford for pottery painting (and cake).

Go the Marina at Aston (nr Stone) and walk along the canal path. Walk up to Burston and have lunch at the Greyhound.

I forgot the most important bit - people say 'eh up me duck' instead of saying hello. It's literally the best place ever. Love Staffs.

@NoYOUbekind

I forgot the most important bit - people say 'eh up me duck' instead of saying hello. It's literally the best place ever. Love Staffs.

No, the 'me' bit is Derbyshire & Jonathan Wilkes. It's just "ey up duck" or "at ow rayt duck."

@NoYOUbekind

I forgot the most important bit - people say 'eh up me duck' instead of saying hello. It's literally the best place ever. Love Staffs.

"Ow aryt duck how's ya didling?" is what we say, means Hi, how are you?

we could just have an entire conversation in Potteries dialect!

Cos kick a bo agin a wo and y'ed it till yer bost it?

Thee costna tell may thee can hed a bo so ard thee can bost it.

A great swim centre: www.waterworld.co.uk/

Definitely Trentham Gardens

I used to chuckle at my late father, who, whenever he was in conversation with an man of a certain age, would revert to full on Stoke.
I think we’ve watered down accents a lot since those days. You can still spot a stoke don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think people are quite as thick with it as they used to be.