Sandyford and Goldenhill

Police “Action”

Staffordshire Police are saying they are dealing with residents complaints against reports of antisocial behaviour in the Sandyford area.

Additional PCSO’s were drafted into the Ridge Road area of Sandyford on Thursday and Friday of this week to give support to local residents.

Police have informed S.A.G.E. that they are aware of the situation in regards to people being intimidated and threatened by small pockets of youths who are hanging around the area.

Yesterday evening, Friday 25.03.11 police were addressing antisocial activities in Ridge Road by visiting properties where known individuals live in an attempt to stamp it out.

Sergeant Marcus Ferns, P.C. Glyn Talbot & PCSO Michael Frost are encouraging residents throughout the Sandyford & Goldenhill area to come forward and report all antisocial behaviour incidents to them.

To visit Staffordshire Police website then follow the link www.staffordshire.police.uk/ or to view crime statistics go to www.staffordshire.police.uk/crimemapping/

Antisocial Behaviour “The Worst it’s been in 20 Years”

A Sandyford resident has made the following comments to the S.A.G.E. website of what is happening in and around the Ridge Road Estate.

The lady says, there is still an ongoing problem in the area with certain youths shouting/gesturing local residents, and when a young girl of 10 year’s of age has two fingers gestured at her, then I think something needs to be done, the size of the “gang” is growing counting approx 8 persons patrolling the street today, this can be very intimidating to the elderly or young and I feel if something is not done then all the decent people will leave and we all know what types will move in. The Police were contacted today and there response was that they need an order from the Council to breakup “gangs” of youths hanging around the streets, although they did attend but no-one was there. Just what, as residents do we have to put up with before something is done to put an end to this matter. I have lived in this area for approx 20 years now and this is the worst i have seen.

Upon S.A.G.E. contacting Tunstall Police, it was reported they are aware of the ongoing situation of antisocial behaviour and have agreed to make regular high visibility police visits to the area over the next four days.

The police further commented that they are hoping a high presence of officers patrolling the area will show support to local residents who are having to put up with high levels of antisocial activities.

Sandyford & Goldenhill Residents Association is advising all residents to report any kind of antisocial behaviour to the police and to let S.A.G.E. know how it is affecting them through the website.

S.A.G.E. Residents Public Annual General Meeting

The next Sandyford & Goldenhill Residents Public Annual General Meeting is on Thursday 14th April 2011 at 7.30 p.m. at Goldenhill Community Centre.

Attending on the evening will be Councillor Candidates seeking election, Staffordshire Police and City Councillors.

At the meeting, there will be a free prize draw with KFC Meal Vouchers and Focus DIY & Gardening donating a garden strimmer and barbeque.

The bar will also be open for alcoholic and hot & cold drinks.

We look forward to seeing you there on the evening.

Youths Antagonising Local Residents

Local residents are being provoked by a small number of young people who are hanging around the streets of Sandyford.

It is being reported the youths are antagonising local residents who live in and around the Ridge Road area of Sandyford.

Local residents are saying that they are having to put up with verbal abuse, threats and inappropriate hand gestures.

Police are aware of the ongoing situation and have requested local residents to report all incidents to them.

A main concern for the Sandyford & Goldenhill Residents Association is that with the evenings getter longer that the situation could get even worse.

If you are experiencing similar antisocial activities then you can leave your comments on the contact us page or the police & antisocial behaviour section on the forum page of the website.

To visit Staffordshire Police website then follow the link www.staffordshire.police.uk/

Wildlife Trust Celebration Day

The Wildlife Trust are holding a Celebration Event this Saturday 12th March at Westport Lake Nature Reserve, right next to their new eco visitor centre in Longport. After three fun-packed years, the Wildplay project is coming to an end so why not join them to celebrate playing outdoors by learning new games and having a go at natural crafts and trails with all the family! The organisation are inviting the community to come and meet them, and find out more about the services and projects they currently deliver across the city. All activities are free and you can drop in at any time throughout the day.’ For further information follow the web link http://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk

Historic Mining Village of Goldenhill

Standing at 700 feet above sea level Goldenhill is the highest point in the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Goldenhill was part of the townships of Oldcott and Ravenscliffe, and the civil parish included the hamlets of Latebrook and Line Houses.

Goldenhill’s historical development was largely due to the impact of the Industrial Revolution in terms of both transport and industry. It was situated on the main road to Manchester and Newcastle- under-Lyme, which was turnpiked in 1763. The Trent and Mersey Canal passed to the west of Goldenhill and this enabled the transportation of both natural and manufactured products in and out of the Potteries.

The building of the Harecastle tunnel at Kidsgrove led to the discovery of coal in the area. James Brindley, the canal engineer, built a branch canal connecting the Harecastle tunnel to an underground wharf at Goldenhill where he had a share in the colliery.

Coal, ironstone mining and pottery were the main industries for the area. The Goldenhill Colliery, which excavated both coal and ironstone, was owned by Robert Williamson in 1841, but by 1931 it had closed. Another small colliery was being worked at Gill Bank in the 1890s and there was opencast mining at Gill Bank Farm during the 20th century. Iron ore was being worked at the furnace at Latebrook at least in the early 19th century.

To find out more about Goldenhill’s historical past then visit the local memories tab on the websites forum page.

Road Potholes

To get the City Council to repair potholes on our roads is now easier than ever to do.

Use the following link http://www.fixmystreet.com/ and tell them where the repair is needed and they will do the rest by reporting it to Stoke on Trent City Council Highways for you.

Remember the City Council won’t be able to fix the problem unless you tell them.

New Sandyford Weekly Walking Group

The ‘Closer to home, Circular Walks’ team are starting a new weekly health walk leaving Sandyford Fire Station every Thursday at 11am. The route takes in the Trent and Mersey canal and takes about an hour and a half and is followed by free tea or coffee back at the fire station (provided by Tesco Extra Community Champion scheme). There are some muddy patches and steep inclines on the walk so sturdy footwear is required. For more information on local walking then follow the web link page http://www.closertohomewalks.org.uk/

Goldenhill “Gateway to the Potteries”

David Wood has sent in the following article, which tells you what it was like in Goldenhill going back as far as the 1940s.

Back in the forties, fifties and early sixties on a good day, you could sometimes see your hand in front of your face.

The smoke, fog and subsequently the smog, was so thick that you literally could not see your hand if your arm was outstretched.

The main cause of this was the bottle ovens stretching across the length of the city from Tunstall to Longton, although the fact that everyone had a coal fire didn’t help matters.

Truly, on a clear day you could see the pall of smoke hanging over the city like a massive black blanket.

If you search the internet, you will find several photo examples of this.

Even as late as the mid sixties there were still a few houses in the village without electricity, the lighting being powered by gas.

A few houses still did not have an inside water tap, the only supply was in the outhouse down the yard next to the outside loo.

The street lighting was provided by gas lamps.

As I have mentioned before we had loads of chapels, churches and pubs, we even had three bus companies, Stoniers, Jeffreys and the PMT.

There was a cinema, not just an ordinary cinema but a Super Cinema, which was run superbly by the Johnson family.

We had butchers shops, oatcake shops, chip shops, hairdressers, newsagents, public toilets, clothes shops, coal merchants, cafes, an electrician’s shop, a DIY shop, a laundrette, a children’s playground, a pop works, a football pitch, two bakeries, and a police station, there was even a council depot with a road roller in it.

Schools were plentiful, Hollywall Lane infants and juniors, Church infants, Church juniors, Goldenhill Secondary Modern and the Catholic School.

The village was completely self contained, there was very little reason to venture out into the big wide world.

So, when you are playing on your playstations or computers, wending your way home by courtesy of your sat nav, watching one of the 250 television stations via satellite or ordering a pizza on your mobile phone, remember, things could be worse.

We didn’t have a lot, but what we had we appreciated and there was a true community spirit.

I am proud to say that I grew up on Goldenhill.

If you found the write up really interesting then why not go to the website forum page and click on the local memories tab and leave a message of some of your past recollections.

You can also use the web link to browse through the booklet that the Goldenhill & Sandyford Memories Group have produced http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1394184

Goldenhill Golf Course Closed “What Next”

Residents who live in Goldenhill and Sandyford need to be talking to S.A.G.E. so we can forward ideas to councillors and the City Council of what you want to happen to the land.

At the S.A.G.E. resident’s committee meeting this month the golf course was an agenda item and members made the following suggestions of what could be done with the area if and when the situation is resolved with Jack Barker Golf.

A nature reserve and walkways, possible funding through a lottery Grant
Sporting/recreation area
Small extension to allotments (additional rental income for the council)
Skateboard park, although this did have a mixed response to the idea

Committee members overwhelmingly agreed that the land should not to be sold for housing or industrial development.

To read more about this story you can follow the Sentinel web link page http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Golf-course-closed-unpaid-rent/article-3239500-detail/article.html