Why do we call it the Bear Pit? The truth behind Newcastle's most misunderstood nickname

Someone in the comments always says it isn't really called the Bear Pit. They're wrong, but only just, and the actual story is far more interesting than either side of that argument.

Our Crowdfunder Is Live: Help Us Grow The Staffordshire Signal

We're asking Staffordshire to help us take the Signal further, expanding Signal TV, launching a new podcast, and building the app that puts local news back in your pocket, not an algorithm's. Here's why, and how you can back us.

We're Talking Rubbish, Episode 1: A Chat with TS Domestics

I recently sat down with the team at TS Domestics for the first episode of their new podcast, talking local history, local media, and what it actually takes to improve our towns and city.

Walking on the Minton Tiles: Inside St George's Hall, Liverpool

St George's Hall in Liverpool hides one of the finest Victorian floors in the world, over 30,000 hand-crafted Minton tiles, usually kept covered and only uncovered for a few weeks each year. This year's reveal runs from 17 July to 2 September 2026.

Time Team in Newcastle-under-Lyme?

UPDATE: They wrote back. Remember me banging on about emailing Time Team about Newcastle-under-Lyme Castle? Well, I didn't expect a reply quite this quickly, but here we are. Rose from Time Team got back to me, and the first line alone made my week: "Am

Biddulph Old Hall: A Romantic Ruin, Still Lived In Today

Hidden in the Staffordshire Moorlands, overlooking the Cheshire Plain, lies Biddulph Old Hall, a romantic ruin that is still lived in today. It has survived siege, cannon fire and near total ruin, and it has been quietly keeping hold of a love story worth waiting five hundred years to hear.

The Leek Double Sunset, Staffordshire’s Strange Midsummer Wonder

Every midsummer, Leek’s famous double sunset connects the Staffordshire Moorlands with ancient skies, medieval history, hidden tunnels and one of the town’s most unusual traditions.

How Stoke-on-Trent Defied Hitler and Helped Rebuild a Village Destroyed by the Nazis

Few people realise that one of Stoke-on-Trent's most inspiring stories began with one of the darkest events of the Second World War. More than eighty years ago, the people of Stoke-on-Trent rallied behind a village they had never seen and families they had never met.

The Hope of Cheadle: The Spitfire Paid for by the People of The Staffordshire Moorlands

Discover the remarkable story of the Hope of Cheadle, the community-funded Spitfire of the Second World War, and learn what to expect at Cheadle Spitfire Day on Saturday 6th June.

War Wheels 2026 - Foxfield Railway, Staffordshire

War Wheels at Foxfield Railway was fantastic today! We go every year and it never disappoints. There were loads of incredible vehicles, the Spitfire, the train running, Titanic Plum Porter on draught in the pub, and plenty of stalls selling all sorts of interesting things. It was lovely to see

Philip Astley, the Newcastle-under-Lyme Showman Who Created the Modern Circus in London

Explore the London site where Newcastle-under-Lyme-born Philip Astley created the modern circus in 1768 and discover Staffordshire’s remarkable connection to entertainment history.

Staffordshire Craftsmanship Beneath Westminster: The Minton Tiles of St Stephen’s Hall

Encaustic tiles produced by Mintons of Stoke-on-Trent form the striking floor of St Stephen’s Hall in the Palace of Westminster, a lasting example of Staffordshire craftsmanship embedded in one of Britain’s most historic buildings.