What is Staffordshire Day?

Staffordshire Day is the day we celebrate everything we love about Staffordshire.

Every year on May 1st, Staffordshire comes alive with events of all shapes and sizes across the county, and loads of competitions and special offers from our great attractions, restaurants, pubs, and hotels.

Whether you love our captivating countryside, our thrilling theme parks or our eye-opening history and heritage, there will be something for you on Staffordshire Day!

It is a very special day for us. May 1^st is the anniversary of our most famous son, Josiah Wedgwood, setting up his pottery company in 1759 and helping to transform Staffordshire into the centre of the world’s ceramics industry.

Now that is something worth shouting about!

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, and national lockdown restrictions, the programme is going to be online-only, and will once again take place on social media (search #StaffordshireDay ) and the Enjoy Staffordshire website. There will be lots goign on including a Film Festival and a Virtual Market!

Staffordshire Libraries will be contributing with specially created content going out on our Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the day!

County’s Poet Laureate, Mel Wardle Woodend, to back Staffordshire Day celebrations

Mel promises a host of poetry activities including a poetry film, an online recital of a specially commissioned poem for Staffordshire Day and a Zoom call with local poets.

Mel’s film 'Echoes', which she produced with fellow poet Jon Watkiss, will celebrate the county town of Stafford, focusing on its geography, landscapes and past industry. 

'Sandstone and Clay' is a specially commissioned poem for Staffordshire Day and explores some of the history, accent and dialect and the diverse landscape of the county.  Both will be streamed on Staffordshire Day on Mel Wardle Woodend Author and Poet Facebook page and the WORD Stafford Facebook page at 9.00 am. 'Sandstone and Clay' will also go live on the Staffordshire Libraries Facebook and Twitter pages at 9am.

Alongside Mel’s own work, she and fellow Poet Gary Carr will also be bringing together some of the county’s top poets for a poetry extravaganza on Zoom on Saturday 1 May between 2pm-4pm. People will be able to sign up for the event and hear from local poets sharing poetry films they have made, and reading poems on the theme of 'Film'.

Details for all Mel’s poetry events are available at the Enjoy Staffordshire  webpage

Talking about her plans for Staffordshire Day, Mel said: “As Staffordshire Poet Laureate, I’m once again really looking forward  to our celebrations."

“Poetry is a great way of expressing ourselves and communicating our thoughts and feelings and is the perfect channel to let people know about our great county. This year, I’ll be showing my first poetry film about Stafford and also doing a live reading of my Staffordshire Day Poem 'Sandstone and Clay' in the morning, and am looking forward to that and to the Zoom event with many poets from across Staffordshire in the afternoon. I hope people can join us and take part in the activities on Saturday 1 May.”

More Staffordshire Day poetry from Emily Rose Galvin

We can’t wait for Staffordshire Day so we can share two new poems, written especially for the day, by Emily Rose Galvin, Poet in Residence at Lichfield Library.

We will be premiering Emily’s first poem at 1:30pm and her second poem at 9:00pm on our Facebook and Twitter pages so look out for them there.

Libraries love Staffordshire Day!

There will be lots of other great content going out across Libraries social media throughout Staffordshire Day including videos, crafts, history, quizzes and more.

Janene Cox, Assistant Director for Culture, Rural and Safer Communities at Staffordshire County Council said: “We all know what a great county Staffordshire is and what truly amazing people we have here, and this is our chance to tell everyone.

“As in previous years our libraries service and our Poet Laureate will be taking centre stage with a whole range of creative online activities.  There will be loads happening throughout Staffordshire Day on the libraries Facebook page and Twitter.  So whether it’s poetry, author talks, stories, online crafts or quizzes there will be something for all the family. Make sure the date of Saturday 1st May is in your diary.”

Do your bit this Staffordshire Day and donate I.T. to help local people get connected

Staffordshire County Council is working with the Community Foundation for Staffordshire to provide recycled I.T. equipment to local people.

There are still people in our communities who don’t have the I.T. equipment they need to learn, apply for jobs, access health services, and reduce loneliness.

To help we’ve set up eight drop off points within libraries, Burton Library, Cannock Library, Leek Library, Lichfield Library, Newcastle Library, Perton Library, Stafford Library and Tamworth Library, where people can donate I.T. equipment they’re no longer using.

What do we need?   

• laptop (with charger)
• tablet
• keyboard
• mouse

Find out more - ask about the scheme at your local library or visit the web page www.staffordshire.gov.uk/DonateIT.