City Announces 'Citizen of the Century' Shortlist
05 Feb 2010
Stoke-on-Trent will this year name its Citizen of the Century as part of its federation centenary celebrations.
A shortlist of ten nominations has been decided on by a panel of judges, to commemorate the best Stoke-on-Trent has had to offer over the last 100 years.
The announcement will be made at a special Federation Dinner to be held on 31 March at the Kings Hall.
The nominees are:
Jack Ashley
Also known as Baron Ashley of Stoke is a Labour member of the House of Lords. He was the MP for Stoke-on-Trent South for 26 years, from 1966 to 1992. In December 1967, aged 45, complications during an ear operation lead to him becoming profoundly deaf. He was the United Kingdom's first totally deaf MP. He since become a noted campaigner for the disabled, especially the deaf and blind, and won cross-party sympathy, support and respect in parliament for his approach.
Arnold Bennett
Born in Hanley in 1867, Arnold Bennett is credited with being one of the most famous literary figures in Stoke-on-Trent’s history. His most famous works are the “Clayhanger” trilogy and “The Old Wives' Tale”. These books draw on his experience of life in the Potteries, as did most of his best work. In his novels the Potteries are referred to as "the Five Towns"; Bennett felt that the name was more suitable than "the Six Towns" so Fenton was omitted. Despite being criticised by his peers at the time, he was later credited with being a major influence on later writers.
Doug Brown
Born in 1922, Doug Brown twice served as Lord Mayor for the city in 1983/84 and 1997/98. Doug also served as Stoke City’s physiotherapist and was the founder of the long running “Lads’n’Dads” programme in 1967. President of the North Staffordshire Chinese Community, Doug was also an honorary member of the Grenadier Guards.
Clarice Cliff
Born in Tunstall in 1899, Clarice Cliff is one of the most famous ceramics artists of the last century. She started work in the pottery industry when she was 13 years old, and became famous for her colourful freehand designs. She started her own studio, and launched her famous “Bizarre” ware in 1927. In September 2009 the Victoria and Albert Museum in London opened its 'New Ceramics Galleries' and Clarice’s work was chosen to be included.
Sir Oliver Lodge
A physicist and inventor, Sir Oliver Lodge was born in Penkhull in 1851, and was a pioneer in radio technology. Recognised by the Royal Society in 1898 for his work in the field, he was knighted in 1902 and given the freedom of the Stoke-on-Trent in 1928. He also experimented with electrical engineering, greeting the first spark ignition for an internal combustion engine, which was called the “Lodge Lighter”.
Sir Stanley Matthews
The only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year awards, Sir Stanley Matthews’ name is synonymous with Stoke-on-Trent. He played at the top level until he was 50 years old, the oldest player ever to play in England's top division. He played over 300 times for Stoke City, over 50 times for England and was inducted into the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame in 2010.
Reginald Mitchell
The creator of the Spitfire, Reginald Mitchell was voted the “Greatest Midlander of all time”. The votes in this poll for BBC Midlands Today in 2003 were 25% in favour, 8% ahead of William Shakespeare. Mitchell was awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Aeronautical Society and made an Associate Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1929, as well being awarded the CBE in that year. Among his legacies include his statue and the Mitchell Memorial Theatre, both in Broad Street in the city centre. The theatre was opened in 1957 by Spitfire pilot Group Captain Douglas Bader
Millicent Duchess of Sutherland
Millicent Fanny St. Clair Erskine was born in 1867 in Fife. Millicent became the Duchess of Sutherland in 1892 after marrying Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1851-1913) who became the fourth Duke of Sutherland in 1892. Known to her many friends and correspondents as Millie, Duchess Millicent was a serious activist for social reform. She started the North Staffordshire Cripples Aid Society, and when the First World War broke out in 1914, Duchess Millicent was among the first to establish a Red Cross Ambulance Unit in Belgium. Her unit developed into a British Red Cross Hospital Unit in France. She was awarded the Belgian Royal Red Cross, the French Croix de Guerre and the British Red Cross for her efforts during the conflict.
Phil Taylor
Widely recognised as perhaps the greatest darts player ever, Phil Taylor is a record fifteen time World Champion. He has won 130 professional tournaments, more than twice as many as any other player. Phil had previously worked in the ceramics industry before qualifying for his first World Championship in 1990, and winning at the first attempt. Phil was also one of the first inductees into the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame in January 2010.
Robbie Williams
Selling over 55 million albums worldwide in 2008, Robbie Williams is one of the UK’s biggest recording artists and has had 7 studio albums reach the UK number 1 position. Born in Tunstall, Robbie first achieved international acclaim as a member of Take That, before starting his solo career in 1995. He is also the majority shareholder in Port Vale FC.
The city will also be inviting people to nominate their own “Citizen of the Century” via their website at www.stoke.gov.uk later this month. That person should have lived, worked or been educated in Stoke-on-Trent between the years 1910 and 2010 and made a significant and recognisable contribution in their chosen field.
The panel of judges is made up of City Council Leader Ross Irving, Managing Editor of BBC Radio Stoke Sue Owen, Assistant Editor of The Sentinel Martin Tideswell, local historian Fred Hughes and Vice Chancellor of Staff University Christine King.
Councillor Irving said, 'We feel that the shortlist accurately reflects the best of Stoke-on-Trent, both past and present. The Citizen of the Century Award is obviously a huge accolade, so we had to think long and hard about prospective candidates. We also want to hear about unsung heroes, the people who have made differences to people’s everyday lives and have given so much to their communities and the city as a whole. The award will be a lasting legacy to whoever is chosen, and will be remembered as one of the most important figures in the entire history of Stoke-on-Trent.'
Wouldn't it be better to have
Wouldn't it be better to have the winner decided by public vote on this and other websites rather than by the "great and the good"?
Got it in one friend!
Got it in one friend!
Jack Ashley - possibly Arnold
Jack Ashley - possibly
Arnold Bennett - already immortalised, not even around in the last 100 years was he?
Doug Brown - couldn't say, not heard of him
Clarice Cliff - possibly
Sir Oliver Lodge - been and gone?
Sir Stanley Matthews - already immortalised
Reginald Mitchell - agree,but already immortalised
Phil Taylor - he plays darts, I don't think he should be short listed
Robbie Williams - recovering drug abuser, the citizen of the last 100 years. I like Robbie, but still, shouldn't have made the short list.
In my opinion at least a third of the list shouldn't be there at all, and yes, people should have been allowed to add to the list, via the modern invention of the internet.
There's so many unsung heros that have never had the acclaim they deserve, maybe we should be celebrating those people.
Tony - how about an alternative list, or even a roll call of all of the community heros we've had over the years. Maybe we can get it printed and drop it in a time capsule, celebrate those people in a real way.
Bankeyfields , MyTunstall - giving the people of Tunstall a voice.
Sir Oliver Lodge from the age
Sir Oliver Lodge from the age of 14 to 22 worked in his Father's business selling Purbeck Ball Clay (The World's finest) to Staffordshire Potteries. That same Ball clay became the insulator for the Lodge Spark plug that changed the way we live.
Never heard of Doug
Never heard of Doug Brown.
Started Lads and Dads
Lord Mayor of the City
Greatly respected by everyone who new him
Phil and Robbie both superb
Phil and Robbie both superb in their own fields.
Could easily be decided by public vote.
They should have nominated
They should have nominated Vincent Riley. He sure knew how to celebrate, even when there was nothing to celebrate.
doug brown possibly,but what
doug brown possibly,but what about tin can man, or cudger?
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Do we know who the judges
Do we know who the judges are? The names of the judges are almost as important as the nominees themselves.
I agree with other posts that this is exactly the kind of thing that should be decided by public vote.
If this is what we want to do, what right does a select few have to dictate to us who the greatest ever "potter" was/is.
There never seems to be enough engagement with the community and this is a shining example.
What about the bloke who sank
What about the bloke who sank the Titanic, Lemmy, Slash, Willco, that bird who did the loterry for year- not Mistic the blond one, Nick Hancock, Bruno Brooks,Jackie Trent, James Brindley- I'm sure Leek would not mind us swiping him.
Caring for the city and all within it.
Alan, the judges are Fred
Alan, the judges are Fred Hughes, Ross Irving, Chistine King, Sue Owen and Martin Tideswell.
Caring for the city and all within it.
I agree with Guest and Lotto,
I agree with Guest and Lotto, there should be a public vote on this that should either count towards the final vote or be used to make a short list of three.
A notable omission from the list
Arnold Machin
Reginald Mitchell was actually born in Butt Lane Kidsgrove which as far as I am aware has never been part of Stoke-on-Trent
Remember: Britain invented time zones, so that means the French sit down to lunch when we tell them it is 1 O'clock and that is what makes us Great.
Sorry to spoil your partying,
Sorry to spoil your partying, but I prefer to celebrate the meek and the humble. Down with the City of Stoke-on-Trent, I say. Let's have some celebration for the oppressed victims of the capitalist system, who have surely suffered enough under the hands of the expropriators and exploiters who have consistently and deliberately demeaned and degraded the lives of our hard-working people.
No disrepect to Doug Brown
No disrepect to Doug Brown but as far as Councillor's who made a lasting impact on the City I would put forward two names of Councillors who had a stronger claim than Doug and they are Joe Monks Neil and Horace Barks.
As far as a Joe is concerned if you seek a memorial then look around you as Joe was central to the reclamation programme that so changed the face of the City during the 60s and 70s and created, for example, Hanley Forest Park.
Horace was a Councillor from the 30s onwards and was keen on the cultural and educational life of the City. The reference library at Hanley was named after him. Horace had a very full life and fought in the First World War and was wounded at the Battle of Loos in 1915. He was a very keen advocate of Esperanto and its interesting that amongst the keenest followers of Esperant were railwaymen as was Horace. Horace also spent some time in Paris during the 30s.
I knew him in the 80s when I was a young Councillor on the City Council and at the end of his life he was a supporter of CND and in the last week of his life he sent a parcel of food bottles of brandy and blankets to women at Greenham Common.
He died in 1984 and part of the funeral service was conducted in Esperanto.
Idealists...foolish enough to throw caution to the winds...have advanced mankind and have enriched the world
www.billcawleyresearch.co.uk
This is a wikipedia article
This is a wikipedia article on Horace
Horace Barks, OBE was Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent in 1951–2.
Barks was born in the countryside near Stoke-on-Trent and came from a working class background. His experiences in World War I left him with pacifist beliefs. He was a member of the Labour Party (UK), the dominant party in Stoke-on-Trent during the twentieth century, and was committed to Esperanto.
Barks and his son were active in the Arnold Bennett Society. The reference library in the city is named after him.
Esperanto
Through Barks' influence "The Green Star", his local pub in Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, acquired a sign in Esperanto. "La Verda Stelo", to give the pub its Esperanto name, is mentioned in a poem by Raymond Schwartz. Barks was involved with starting classes at the Wedgwood Memorial College in Barlaston, which remains an important centre of Esperanto education.
Idealists...foolish enough to throw caution to the winds...have advanced mankind and have enriched the world
www.billcawleyresearch.co.uk
Joe Monks-Neil was known as
Joe Monks-Neil was known as Mr. Parks when I was on the council in stoke with Joe.
Without doubt he took the reclamation of derelict land into green spaces into a new era.
He was a quiet man in private but a fierce opponent within the council
Horace was a man of great wit but used his humour often to cut opponents dead.
He drew caricatures of councillors and officer with great skill.
My lasting memory of Horace is his swapping of humour with an equally funny Cllr. Don Collings a hairdresser from Sneyd Green who was well known for his work with amateur dramatic societies.
Thanks for that Warren. 5
Thanks for that Warren.
5 eh?
Well I think, unless it's by a public vote it's just a pointless, self-indulgent exercise. And most importantly, apart from the 5, completely meaningless to anyone in Stoke with their own brain
personally I would be stuck
personally I would be stuck between Sir Stan, and Reg mitchell.
but as for who has put stoke "on the map"? well from my experience of living outside of Stoke, (I lived in the Republic of Ireland from 1999 until 2006) when I was asked the question "so where in England are you from"? I would reply "a place called Stoke on Trent" the name most people associated with Stoke was....Robbie Williams, almost instantly, I would then be asked if I knew him, had ever met him, etc etc I would point out people such as Sir Stan, and Reg Mitchell, and the captain of the Titanic, but it was Robbie they were interested in,...oh and I am NOT a fan,
---------------------------------------------------
The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them.
Karl Marx
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I feel that the "worthies"
I feel that the "worthies" are not the people to choose , The people should choose.Although the people chose the "worthies, what does that say? I feel that their will be a strong religious input in the choosing if left to the Joke-on-Trent voters.Will probably be sport or "pop". Of the people the worthies have to date nominated, I feel that Stan, has had sufficient recognition, and that Reg likewise is probably not representative,he came from near here, but cleverly moved from here to do his best work.He was, if we can claim him, more important, not only to Stoke, but to Great Britain, and the world.I will not comment on the others mentioned because I am already getting bored with the subject, The worthies will get their way. They may bow to the electorate, because they are the electorate.They may vote for a past councillor, in the hope that they can bathe in the glow of their achievements. but not if they realise that the younger voters do not know who they were and think they were probably on the fiddle, even in those days. However if a statue is made it will probably be lost while a decision is being made re the siting. When it is discovered again years ahead, if they can remember why it was made they will probably site it(after forming a committee)in the most inappropriate place, probably pointing in the wrong direction.
I do however hope that a drugged up boozer is not chosen to represent our sick city. I don't think Vincent Riley was into drugs,he probably sang a little?
Choosing a single citizen of
Choosing a single citizen of the Century is a mistake. We should celebrate all of the Potters who have made a significant difference, both to Stoke and on the National and international stage, as part of the Centenery celebrations. We should use them all to promote what is good about the area.
The reality is that we need to recognise our history and identify the citizens who can take us forward.
The only vote we need in Stoke is a general election. At that stage, let's hope that the people recognise the candidates who will take us forward. Let's hope we don't end up with the same Labour crew that have let us down for at least the past 5 years.
No doubt our Labour MPs will be happy to join in a choose a citizen debate - they are less likely to explain why they have stood by and watched our city decline and why they have failed to demonstrate leadership in promoting the City.
This should be a public vote,
This should be a public vote, that way a broad section would have their say, and the selection would not be made by a 'select few' in the citys' best interest...
Do they think the citizens of Stoke are incapable of making a decision on this?
Happy to be who I am....
Where's John Caudwell in all
Where's John Caudwell in all of this? Without his mobile empire the collapse of the pits, pots and steel would have had a much greater impact.
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