The Storytellers Don't Think So! Programme | Christmas | Book There are many things we learned in school or from other sources which we believe to hold true and our history helps ground us; helping to understand our past can reconcile the present and plan for the future. Ian Barlow: Chef & Story Teller pictured with props from his Agincourt evening Even if we don't think too deeply about it, our history is important. In recent years, with the ability to communicate wi

This month, the Craft Community Hub at 59 Chapel Street in Cheadle celebrates its second birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with friends and cake?. Everyone is welcome and whilst this vibrant hub hosts the work of more than 25 local makers every day there is an extra special reason to visit this weekend. There will of course be birthday cake but the hub members are hosting a cake sale in aid of local charity A Child of Mine. If you've not come across their work b

A poem of encouragement from our editor, Lori Wood Williams, celebrating the colder months of life in Staffordshire. Don't Fear Autwin...

St Giles Catholic Church in Cheadle (Pugin's Gem), celebrated the 180th anniversary in style with a flower festival. Organisers Liz and Janet, along with Father Eric and local historian John Smith, chatted with us during our splendid visit. The High Alter at St Giles Catholic Church Cheadle All the flowers in the festival were designed in white to complement the beauty of the church itself, which is drenched in color, texture, and pattern at every turn. It is incredibly beau

Wellspring Methodist Church Cheadle hosted their annual Macmillan Coffee Morning on the 26th of September. Never missing an opportunity to serve their community, the welcoming group added a twist. This year's event also hosted a lantern-making workshop as part of Cheadle's upcoming arts festival. Donations from thousands of Coffee Mornings, big and small across the country, help raise vital funds to support the almost 3.5 million people in the UK living with cancer, from the

JCB decided to keep things local when it came to replacing their hospitality tableware around the world, selecting Longton-based Duchess China with whom they have a 25-year relationship. The order with will see the unique design created in fine bone china used at JCB sites across the globe and available to buy for the first time as a collectors’ item for JCB memorabilia fans. The order for around 1,300 cups, saucers, plates, teapots, and coffee pots will be used at the comp

Staffordshire history centre is a cultural venue that brings together three historic collections through exhibitions, heritage rooms and a dedicated space for researchers. The collections cover family, local, national and international history. The centre is open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 – 16:00. It is free to visit. We are closed on Sunday and Monday including Bank Holidays. Staffordshire History Centre is located at Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2LZ. To visit the researc

This weekend (4th-6th September), St Giles Catholic Church, Cheadle (Pugin's Gem), will celebrate its 180th anniversary with a flower festival. We met up with Liz and Janet, who organise the flowers at the church, to find out more. The newly refurbished stained glass window All the flowers in the festival will be white to complement the beauty of the church itself, which is drenched in colour, texture, and pattern at every turn. It is incredibly beautiful, and keeping the col

This Saturday, 22nd of August 2026, the Kingsley Holt Centre opened its doors for their summer fun day. COGNEWS went along to chat with the people involved. Kingsley Holt Centre formed as a community benefit society to rescue and repurpose the former local Methodist chapel so that it could be retained for community use. The centre is used every week for a wide variety of activities, community café, craft workshops, fitness classes, and fundraising events. They are working tow

We caught up with Sarah from Uniting Staffordshire Against Hate (USAH), part of Citizens Advice — one of the services they offer, at this year's Pride in the Moorlands and discovered more about their work. USAH supports anyone who's been a victim of a hate crime or hate incident, including people who are targeted because of their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or transgender identity. The services that they offer are information, advice, and guidance about ne

Equalbase Cheadle is a not-for-profit group, based on Leek Road, that helps people with additional needs achieve things that matter to them by providing day opportunities and additional support. It's a wonderful place, and in July the group opened their doors to their many friends and supporters to say thank you for the support they have received this past year. The Lively Open Day at Equalbase More than that, it was a day, one of many, where the group gives back to their loc

On the 11th of October 2026, the Auctioneers Arms, a Caverswall-based community pub, invited us to a taster evening for their new menu, but it's so much more than food that is served here. Manager Terry told our reporter what makes The Auctioneers such a special place. Pictured: Manager Terry & Deputy Manager Tilly The new menu was made possible thanks to a completely new kitchen. It had been on Terry and his team's wish list for a long time, the old one being smaller than an

Saturday 22nd August 2026 10am – 4pm Cheadle Community Library 15a—17 High Street, Cheadle Free Event The Programme Join author and illustrator Matt Buckingham for a fun, creative character‑drawing activity. Matt will share how he develops his own characters and offer plenty of tips and tricks to help you design imaginative creations that might even spark story ideas of your own.” Multi-award winning Caricaturist Andy Gilbert has a wealth of experience in the Live On-The – Sp

Last month, Cheadle welcomed another lovely business to the town, this time a creative arts space on Cross Street called Studio 15. The Mayor and Mayoress popped in to see owner Kerry Broad to welcome her to the town, and COGNEWS went along too on the official opening day (20th June 2026). L-R: Cllr & Mayoress Zenobia Routledge, Store Owner Kerry Broad, Mayor Phil Routledge Kerry told us, "In 2017, I was where Holly's boutique was as Bless Your Arts Boutique, so this has been

This weekend (July 9th-12th), the Cheadle Carnival Committee hosted a fantastic event for the town. Previous Cheadle Carnivals have been a source of pride and admiration for recent generations, and this weekend's event was equally impressive. The festival kicked off with a Dancefest event on the evening of the 9th and a parade through the town at 12 noon on Saturday, leading to the opening of a wealth of attractions as the parade made its way to Tean Road Recreation Ground an

We recently met with Vicky at the Craft Community Hub on Chapel Street, Cheadle, to learn more about an inspiring butterfly project they have been working on. Vicky told our reporter that they had been working with Child of Mine, who support bereaved parents, siblings, and other family members. They support people from a miscarriage all the way up to 18 through whatever kind of trauma and loss a family can experience. They are organizing a memorial day in Stafford at St Mary'

Mum Where's The Changing Rooms? As the fiasco of the Churchill Road Recreation Ground development continues, our resident cartoonist asks one of the questions on residents' minds. It is our understanding that the two local councils involved in developing the space made the decision not to include changing facilities, even though they have been asked for at the ground. Cheadle Town Council, under the leadership of Cllr Paulette Upton, has recently developed the changing rooms

On Saturday, the 6th of June, local people and visitors came together on Cheadle High Street for an event to mark the anniversary of the Spitfire's maiden flight and the anniversary of D-Day. Julian Mitchell Great Nephew of Reginald Mitchell A main feature was the replica Spitfire sited on the Market Square. The Spitfire didn’t come alone but with many people dressed in the style of the era, stalls and activities, and micro-events in shops and other spaces. The Cheadle Discov

Creative Cheadle has created a panel that has been unveiled alongside 22 others from across the country at Peterborough Cathedral. Hundreds of people have knitted and crocheted 45,000 poppies onto cascades, which have been made into a curtain to remember the fallen in both wars. The exhibition is part of The Longest Yarn II: Britain at War, with all proceeds raised going towards the upkeep of the cathedral and selected armed forces charities. The journey began when one of the

This year Alton Castle celebrates its 30th anniversary as a residential retreat and to and to mark the occasion a huge lantern has been commissioned. Constructed by local blacksmith, Jim Plant of Cheadle, the lantern has been built in his workshop over a number of years. It's so large (about 8ft in diameter) that he could hardly move around his workshop during assembly! A local electrician wired the unit up to the British safety standard, and the unit now sits in an area wher