Yesterday's Town - Stafford

County town, centre of industry, market for farming, Stafford's pride is a long past - from Ethelfleda to William Horton. Much has changed in one lifetime, for yesterday's town knew horse cabs, lamplighters and penny cornets'; the German Band, Penny Bazaar and Guisso's ice creams. Shoes were the foundation of Stafford's early industry; then came engineering, diesels and electrical components. Many firms were home-grown `names' like Lotus, Dormans, Bagnalls and Venables. Theatre struggled here but horse racing flourished for a time. Cricket and soccer boast early origins, while rugby's start is a little blurred. Earlier, bloodier sports gave us that 20th century delight, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Education was a church affair at first though grammar was early taught. Laing, Powell and Nott made their markl, as did `Ma' McCrea and Mere Jeanne. Pubs proliferated, though all the `jolly' ones are no more - t he Jolly Potter, Jolly Crafts, Jolly Bacchus, and, splendidly, the Jolly Troper. Now the old pubs and `handsome' shops have largely gone, as have the Royal Brine Baths. Instead there stand supermarkets and a relief road - perhaps rather better services than in the `good old days' but possible less character...