On the hunt for Arthur Berry's Biddulph

HERE'S a wonderful little textile piece in the Barewall Gallery in Burslem entitled Lament of the Lost Pubs of Burslem, crafted by a very fine creative talent, Angela James.

- HISTORIAN MERVYN EDWARDS TRACES POTTERIES POLYMATH ARTHUR BERRY'S LINKS TO THE TOWN...

In its own sweet way it is one of my favour-ite images of all those that have given piquancy to this year's National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported Arthur Berry 100.

The centenary year of the Smallthorne born cultural icon has created a phantasmagoria of images, sounds, memories and charming moments that have introduced the artist, playwright, poet and creative dynamo to a new generation of admirers.

It has embraced Barewall's exhibition A Sense of Place, the interpretative Appetite Cubes in Hanley and Newcastle, the New Victoria Theatre's staging of Berry's last play Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt, shows by Staffordshire film archivist Ray Johnson and weekend walking tours led by yours truly.

It seems to me that almost everywhere has wanted a piece of Berry in this very special year, and truth be told, he has links - however tenuous some may be with many places across North Staffordshire.

It's been the mission of Brown Lees-born former teacher Eric Cox, of the Biddulph and District Genealogical and Historical Society, to ensure that a bit of Berry magic be enjoyed by locals.

This august group is one of the big beasts among North Staffordshire's local history societies. It researches, produces books and attracts huge attendances to its gatherings at the Victoria Centre in Station Road, Biddulph. I should know, because a talk I presented in January on the poems of Arthur Berry attracted 66 visitors. The challenge for me was to find something to say about Berry that Biddulph people didn’t know.

After all, I reasoned, Berry spent some of his early years there. Surprisingly enough, the audience knew less about Arthur than I had envisaged. It is a point I made recently to Eric Cox, aged 77, the society's indefatigable secretary.