27/07/2026
So Why Five Towns Koi ?
The pottery industry Employing half the population of Stoke had clearly put Stoke on Trent on the world map
Companies like
Wedgwood - Spode - Royal Doulton - Minton - Moorcroft - Wade
All based round the mother town of Burslem.
In 1927 Michelin tyres came to Stoke More pollution in the air
More employment but lots more pollution.
In 1980,s I could taste the rubber in the air at 4:00 o’clock in stoke ?? When they opened the factory doors.
Make no mistake back then -the pits or the factories or the pollution in the air took you early - life expectancy was low -
many had tough life’s back then.
In the 1861 census there were 4065 child workers registered
593 were under 6 years old??
These kids were doing 12 hour shifts 6 days a week.
Just think about that for a moment??
But this got better when the clean air act in 1956 and 1968 due to the great smog of London ??
What they don’t tell you is that pollution was created 3 hours north in city’s like Stoke where life expectancy was half of our southern brothers and sisters .
We had to suffer this pollution for 20 years but it was only addressed when it reached London ??
In 1978 the last bottle oven was closed down .
In 1995 Wedgwood moved out to Indonesia to save money.
At its peak Wedgwood employed 1800 employees in Nile street Burslem alone - in the mother town ??
Now all gone
Now The mother town itself is a none entity??
In 1948 the pottery industry employed 79,000 workers
In 2009 7,000
2026 4,000
Making stoke on Trent on of the most deprived places in the UK.
So back to the name
Why Five Towns Koi ?
If Arnold Bennett can call Fenton a none entity?? On a whim
After the destruction of the pottery industry in Stoke -
After the destruction of Burslem itself making it a none entity??
We are 6 towns
But the name
Five Towns Koi -should remind us of the destruction that has been done to our city and what was our great industry here in the potteries.
Good enough for Arnold Bennett
Good enough for us.
Five Towns Koi
Nile street
Burslem
Stoke on Trent.
And Proud to say
I’m from the potteries.
