Monkey Forest

Somehow my sweet, girlie, pottery weekend that I had been begging for since we moved here turned into a weekend perfect for a bloke.

The crapper museum. 

The World's End, a movie about pubs and aliens.

Dinner at a carvery.  (Matt ate a platter of roasted meats & veg

slathered in gravy and two Yorkshire puddings the size of your head.)

And last but certainly not least.
Monkeys.

Monkey Forest is 60 acres of beautiful English woodland and home to 140 macaques.
There are two distinct family groups and as you walk along the 3/4 miles of trails
you can watch them play, eat and sleep all around you.

There are currently 6 little babies riding around on their mom's backs.
The one year olds never stop their boisterous play among the trees. 

We had a lovely few hours walking along the trails and watching the monkeys.
Unfortunately, I didn't take my zoom lens.  But I did click hundreds of photos.
Admission was £7.50 and they are committed to the protection of the species.
There are many guides throughout the park to answer questions and
make sure the monkeys are happy and healthy.

The Trentham Estate is home to the Monkey Forest

as well as the Estate, gardens, and shopping village.

After visiting the monkeys, we stopped long enough for a little stroll through the shopping village and a terrific lunch at David's Brasserie before our three hour journey home.

If you are planning a trip to Stoke on Trent, be sure to add it to your agenda.

So, what do you think of Stoke on Trent?
Are you planning a visit? 

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A Celebration of the Loo

In my last post, I told you all about the Gladstone Pottery Museum

and why you should make it your first stop in Stoke on Trent.

Well, there are a few added bonuses on the site just in case you aren't convinced.

First an exhibit about ceramic tiles.

And the real reason to visit...

The Toilet Museum!!!

 

Yep, that's right.  A small museum dedicated to everything

potty, loo, toilet, restroom, and crapper.
(Ya'll know I love a good potty post.)

Now tell me that's not worth a visit right there!

  

How do you feel about female urinals?  Do you think they will catch on?

 

How do you feel about squat toilets? (We will be discussing further when I post about Morocco.)

Hours.  Of.  Fun.  

Well, maybe just one hour, but still a fun hour.

You know you want to go! 

(See what I did there? I crack myself up.)

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The Potteries

We started our weekend in Stoke on Trent at the Gladstone Pottery Museum and I'm so glad that we did.

It was the perfect way to start, because it really set the tone for our visit to the area. 

The museum explores the fascinating history of the Staffordshire Potteries.

When we pulled into the parking lot and walked up to the entrance,

we were a little concerned.   It's in a nondescript industrial area and there were only two other cars in the parking lot.  It's nothing fancy.  We paid our £7.50 each and took our map for the self-guided tour.  

 We were immediately drawn into the history of this place.

Since the 1600's this area has been known for the production of pottery and coal mining.

Royal Doulton, Wedgwood and other world renowned potteries were established in this area.

Several hundred years ago, thousands of these distinctive bottle kilns dotted the landscape pouring out black smoke.  This is where the pottery was fired.

There are now only 47 of the kilns remaining and they are all listed.

The tour walks you through the whole process and shares the stories of the

men, women and children who worked in the potteries.

You can read all about it in this BBC article.

And I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream and mark this off of my bucket list.

I got to throw a pot!  So amazing!

First Gary gave us a demonstration and then I handed over £3 and got to make my own. He's been doing this for 18 years and makes it look so easy.  Then it was my turn.  It's much harder than in looks.  But I made a pot!!!

I got to bring it home in a little box.  It's unfired so I can't really use it for anything.

But it was so much fun and now I want to do it again and again.

Then Rita gave us a demonstration on making flowers with bone china.

She started doing piece work for the factories when she was just sixteen.

Her hands moved so quickly and she chatted with us as she worked.

She can make these delicate flowers without even looking.

The young girls were paid by the piece so they became very quick.

We purchased one of the roses in the gift shop.

Gary and Rita were so interesting and friendly.  They were happy to tell us about the potteries and the amazing history of the area.

I think a visit to the Gladstone Pottery Museum should be your very first stop when visiting Stoke on Trent.

 

It added a whole new dimension to our weekend and took our visit from

shopping bag tourism to a true exploration of the area and its history.

Have you been to Stoke on Trent?  What did you think?

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