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Graphic Design at Stafford College

Celebrate the culture and history

Of Stafford

Work by 1st year students currently studying BTEC Graphic Design at Stafford College.
In terms of the project itself, the students were challenged to create posters that celebrate the culture and history of Stafford.

More information
about the course can be found over on the NSCG Website

Graphic Design Curriculum Leader, David Holcroft said;

They have really enjoyed exploring their local area and discovering Stafford’s rich heritage in order to create a set of letterpress style posters, produced using Adobe Illustrator and the college’s screen printing facilities.
Our plan going forward is to use the artwork in a local exhibition and perhaps even create a limited runoff prints that we could sell or donate in order to raise money for charity.
This is just one of the many exciting projects we run on the Graphic Design course and we’re currently recruiting for our next cohort to start in September 2021 if there are any budding creatives out there who fancy a career in the creative industries.

Click here for more info

Abi GreenwoodWork by Abi Greenwood

Molly Geework by Molly Gee

Josh Clarkwork by Josh Clark

Ross Burlingtonwork by Ross Burlington

Tyler Brough-Smithwork by Tyler Brough-Smith

Tye Chaplinwork by Tye Chaplin

Toby Walton-Sanderswork by Toby Walton-Sanders

Seb Tideswellwork by Seb Tideswell

Sadie Thorntonwork by Sadie Thornton

Jessica Neework by Jessica Nee

Jessica Hankinwork by Jessica Hankin

Jayden Duttonwork by Jayden Dutton

Fin Bickertonwork by Fin Bickerton

Chloe Hopework by Chloe Hope

Charlotte Kneill-Boxleywork by Charlotte Kneill-Boxley

Anelia Tsvetkovawork by Anelia Tsvetkova

Alice McEwanwork by Alice McEwan

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The Staffordshire Files

Our Digital Marketing Exec, Zoe has been finding some hidden gems for us, over on Instagram.
The upcoming Staffordshire Files Podcast is just one of the inspired projects happening in and around Stafford, read on to find out more.

So, to start us off, can tell us your name(s), how old you are and where you’re based?

My name is Katie, I’m 25 years old and living in Newcastle-under-Lyme with my husband and our ridiculous 3 year old spaniel.

Can you describe your project in one sentence?

The podcast is actually quite selfish – I’m attempting to flesh out my own understanding of the varied life experiences of the people who live in the Staffordshire.

When did you start your project and what made you begin?

The idea for the podcast came about in the first lockdown – my husband and I spent it with back home with our parents. We quickly realised we knew the neighbours of our childhood homes but we didn’t even know the name of our own next door neighbour! It seemed completely ridiculous! I found out in the early stages of developing the podcast that – surprise, surprise – people are interesting! Putting the conversations I have with these individuals in a podcast lets a listener understand what I quickly learned – our neighbours are important and have rich, fulfilling lives and we can connect with each other, despite lockdown restrictions.

How has lockdown affected your project? What’s been good about it? What’s been bad?

It has become so clear to me that before lockdown, any spare time I had was wasted in binging a box set or napping to recover from being stressed all the time. Whilst the pandemic and subsequent lockdown has brought horrific levels of anxiety to my family, and every other person in the world, I’ve been trying to teach myself to be still. I found a Mary Oliver poem at the beginning of lockdown that has been my often repeated mantra (it’s called ‘Today’, definitely check it out if you need to be convinced to rest!) It took a long time to not be guilty about dedicating spare time to me and what I wanted to do.

What has been the most exciting part or event since starting your project?

We are our own worst critics – I’ve been sitting on this idea since April but have talked myself out of it every time I tried to start. Setting up the Instagram page and getting supportive messages just completely floored me! It was nice to know that people wanted connections with their local area, whether they’re born and bred Stokies or have recently emigrated from Timbuktu. Social media puts such a buffer on our connections – podcasts allow a little more closeness. You can hear an accent or a silly laugh – stuff you can’t put in an Instagram post.

What is something you wish you could go back and change, or something you wish you had known when you first started out?

This process has been so encouraging – I’m connecting with the people that make our local area alive and my only regret is that I didn’t crack on with the podcast sooner.

What has been your favourite interview so far and why?

I couldn’t possibly say! They’re all so varied and different. I’ve gained things from each conversation too, insights into things I want to know about, things I want to see or do, things I want to develop in myself. (I did warn you that the podcast is a selfish endeavour!)

What is your least favourite aspect of doing this project?

I completely detest the sound of my own voice! And I do wish I could be meeting people face to face…. I suppose it is just something we can look forward to when things get less infectious.

What are your future plans for the project?

Sounds crackers, but I have no idea. I’m really enjoying it so I hope it will be able to continue! We have an extensive supply of people in Staffordshire who have incredible things to say – who knows how long this will go on for!

Do you have any advice for others thinking of starting or just starting their own projects?

Honestly, just crack on! What’s the worst that could happen? If something doesn’t take off, then you just get to refocus, re-jig things until it does work for you. You’ll never know if something’s worth trying until you try it.

What question do you wish I had asked you and why?

I love asking people what they’re having for tea! Everyone loves talking about food and if you’re having something nice for tea that night, you’re just buzzed about! Tonight we’re celebrating the start of getting ready for Christmas with a good takeaway.

If you want to get involved with The Staffordshire Files podcast, their Instagram is @thestaffordshirefiles and their email address is thestaffordshirefilespodcast@gmail.com

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Hearts and Hands – Stafford

Hearts and Hands Stafford a new non for profit community organisation primarily helping those affected by COVID 19 and a reduced income the self employed, furloughed and those who have slipped through the net and need a bit of help.

Hearts and Hands a splinter group from Helping Hearts Outreach for Wolverhampton and Staffordshire, now dealing independently in Stafford and the surrounding area is run by a volunteer team and have the needs of the community foremost in their minds, with the mission to help and assistance wherever they can
Working with other charities and community groups within the area, signposting people to those that can also assist and respecting people’s dignity with confidentiality a priority
Assisted by local supermarkets supplying surplus food that would normally go to waste and distributing free of charge to the community to those who are in need.
Hearts and Hands collection points are scattered throughout the area, outside the homes of community minded people who collect dry food and tinned food goods to add to the stock at Hearts and Hands to be given away in food hampers

Buy Hearts & Hands - Stafford a 'Coffee'By buying Hearts & Hands – Stafford a coffee (£3) via this link you will be helping to fund some of the items they will be placing in the FREE Food Boxes
Donate Via Ko-Fi

Their motto; never look down on someone unless you are helping them up!

Katie Lowe founder of Hearts and Hands Stafford said;
“We saw a need in Stafford and the surrounding areas as many people have been affected financially this last year through no fault of their own, before they could cover all their bills but on reduced income because they are self employed, furloughed and maybe illness has hit the household and cannot turn to anyone else for help, many never needed to ask before that were we hope to be able to help and if we can’t we can signpost to someone who can”
Food drop off points;
Collection sites;
5 Christopher Terrace ST17 4LY
24 Surrey Road ST17 9SU
7 Radford Bank Stafford ST17 4PJ
48 Alexandra Road ST17 4DE
23 Meadowbank Walk ST16 1TA
109 Merrivale Road ST17 9EH
54 Sidmouth Avenue ST17 0HF
Santander I Market Square ST16 2JH
Stafford Railway Station ST16 2AA
108 Eccleshall Road ST16 1HX
63 Nelson Way Stafford ST17 9LQ
15 Thornyfields ST17 9YS
3 St George’s Parkway ST16 3WT
Dunelm Grey Friars’ Place ST16 2SD
SPAR Cape Ave, Western Downs ST17 9FL
46 Impstones Gnosall ST20 0DH
23 Meadow Drive Haughton ST18 9HQ
3 Abbeyfields Great Haywood ST18 0S

On Universal credit please conatct House of Bread , Rising Brook Church or Community Social Supermarket
If you need help or wish to volunteer please get in touch via admin@heartshands.uk
Facebook Hearts & Hands – Stafford and Twitter @HeartandH

Telephone in working hours 07534 831455 website www.heartshands.uk

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The Tudor House Holistic Centre

My name is Maggie and I am the proprietor of Hart Magical Gifts, Therapies and Training, which is based at no. 9 Eastgate Street, on the right-hand side of the Colonnade.
Number 8, 9, and the Colonnade itself are part of a beautiful building with origins dating back to the 1500’s. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.

The Tudor House Holistic Centre is located in the rooms above the shop. When these rooms were vacated by Seven Casting a few years ago I popped in to have a look inside, and a similar process of falling in love took place! The rooms were beautiful with 16th and 17th century panelling and lots of character, but severely neglected, damp and dirty. It was clear they needed a bit of TLC.
Now, more than 2 years later, I am now the Centre Manager and my job is to take care of these rooms. After some structural repairs by the owner, and with a team of fabulous assistants, we have worked really hard, painting, cleaning, and decorating, making these rooms into a homely, welcoming space.

When it was decided to let these rooms out to people on a casual basis, of course it became necessary to have a way of identifying each room. Numbers seemed really impersonal, so the rooms are named after the previous inhabitants of the house. After a bit of research into a fascinating book called ‘Into Eastgate Street,’ by Roy Lewis (from a selection of guides available at the High House), I discovered some details about the people who have lived and worked in this house since Stafford records began in the 1600’s. The rooms are named after just four of them: Mary, William, Prudence and Edward.

William Barker (or his son of the same name) was the person who is recorded as having bought the house in the 1690s. The elder William was a leading townsman in the latter half of the 17th century. He had moved into the town, or been apprenticed here, after the Civil War and was made a burgess in 1656. He was a trader in cloth, in Stafford and over a wide area, even being twice selected as Mayor. However, his finances collapsed in 1691, and he was even confined in prison (probably for debt) so had to resign from his civic duties. Buying Tudor House brought him good fortune, and by the time of William’s death in 1705 he was described as a ‘gentleman’.
Sometime in the late 1690’s, Tudor House was rented out to the widow Prudence Compton and her sister. Prudence’s husband had left an annuity of 40 shillings for the widows and orphans in the parish, which was given to the Mayor and Stafford Corporation to administer in trust. The Corporation then stole the money as they were desperately short of cash at that time. As Prudence’s father-in-law had been a high court judge, her lawyers took the Corporation to court and were successful in recovering the cash.

Mary’s Bower is named after William Barker’s daughter-in-law. In the early 1700’s, she moved into Tudor House. In the 1700’s the brick building to the left of the Colonnade (now number 8) was timber-framed and connected to number 9, being part of the same property. Mary is the person who decided to divide this building into two. After he husband’s death, she moved into number 8 and let number 9 out to provide an income. I feel that Mary deserves recognition for her role in making good use of the space!
Edward was the son of a thread maker, who inherited number 9 (the right hand side of the Colonnade) and the business from his father, Thomas, in 1797. The ground behind the house had been built on and became known as Clarke’s buildings. Edward retired in 1810 and let the house, which he described as having a rear warehouse ‘well adapted for any manufacture and built for that purpose (probably by his father), with a yard and stables. The premises were taken by a hat maker called James Nixon, who let out some of the best rooms as gentlemen’s apartments with stables. I have visions of gentlemen staggering up the stairs after having had too much alcohol, as there were a lot more pubs open in Stafford then than nowadays!

If you would like to learn more about my work and this building, do follow these links:
thetudorhouseholisticcntre.co.uk for information on room rental and facilities
hartmaggie.co.uk for Courses and treatments
facebook.com/hartmaggie for the Gift shop

Photos by Maggie Jennings

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Stafford Walking Street Market December 2020

A successful outdoor market took place on Thursday the 10th of December, Stafford Walking Street Market under the Tier 3 rules which showed the rest of the country how an outdoor market should be run with the public taking ownership of their actions with many wearing masks by choice and socially distancing.
Local company LR Partnership Events with a group of volunteers have hosted a few events throughout the year sticking to the government guidelines in place at the time. The public was asked to donate gifts for Santa’s Grotto so a visits would be free, the 500 tickets allocated sold out in 24 hours, which is a testament to how Stafford and the surrounding villages pull together as a community.

Lorraine Conkey organiser of the Stafford Walking Street Markets said: “Wow! What a great atmosphere! I would like to thank everyone who came to the Christmas Stafford Walking Street Market, you were great, keeping social distancing in mind and although not mandatory many wore masks. A huge thank you to everyone who donated gifts for Santa’s Grotto, you made a lot of children very happy.
Thank you to Cllrs Ann Edgeller and Carolyn Trowbridge and former Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy for attending and giving your continued support. A great job was done by the stewards, elves, all the stallholders and the Salvation Army for the Christmas tunes.”

Walking Street Market will be back on Thursday the 8th of April and then the second Thursday of the month.
Stallholders wishing to reserve a place email nikki@lrpartnership.co.uk
For more details go to LR Partnership website, and/or
Stafford Walking Street Market on Facebook and Twitter
Photos by Paul Milgate-Scarrott and Lorraine Conkey

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