Location
Podmores is conveniently located in the middle of the UK, within easy access to 4 international airports, by a main rail line and easily accessible from the M6 motorway (Junctions 15 or 16), or from the A50.
Podmores (Engineers) Ltd
Unit H Great Fenton Business Park
Grove Road, Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 4LZ, UK
Airports
Podmores is less than a 1 hour drive from 4 international airports.
Rail
Stoke-on-Trent railway station is less than 10 minutes by car, and Crewe (a major hub station) is 30 minutes away.
Hotels
There are plenty of hotels within 10-15 minutes of Podmores. Here are some that we suggest:
The Upper House Hotel (£££) | +44 1782 373790 | www.theupperhouse.com
DoubleTree by Hilton (£££) | +44 1782 609988 | www.hilton.com
Hilton Garden Inn (££) | +44 1782 486960 | www.hilton.com
Courtyard by Marriott (££) | +44 1782 376820 | www.marriott.com
Holiday Inn Express (£) | +44 3719 021629 | www.ihg.com
Travelodge (£) | +44 8719 846446 | www.travelodge.co.uk
Taxis
Here are some links and phone numbers for local taxi companies:
Local Area
Stoke-on-Trent was formed in 1910 and joined six towns Stoke-upon-Trent where the railway station is, Hanley which is the largest shopping district, Burslem, Tunstall, Longton, and Fenton where Podmores factory is.
Stoke-on-Trent is the home of the pottery industry in England and is commonly known as the Potteries. Since the 17th century, the area has been a leader in ceramic and pottery manufacturing. Companies such as Royal Doulton, Dudson Ltd, Spode (founded by Josiah Spode) and Wedgwood (founded by Josiah Wedgwood), Minton (founded by Thomas Minton) are all based locally. The local abundance of coal and clay suitable for earthenware production led to the early (initially limited) development of the local pottery industry. The construction of the Trent and Mersey Canal (completed in 1777) enabled the import of china clay from Cornwall together with other materials and facilitated the production of creamware and bone china.
You can visit the Wedgewood museum where you can have a go at using a potters wheel and also the Gladstone museum which has its original bottle kiln ovens.
The city’s ceramics collection is housed in the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley along with the Staffordshire Hoard, over 3,500 Anglo-Saxon objects found in 2009. Etruria Industrial Museum on the Caldon Canal is also dedicated to the city’s industrial heritage.
Trentham Gardens, offers a formal Italian Garden, shopping village and also a Monkey Forest.
The Alton Towers Resort is 10 miles east of Stoke-on-Trent and is one of the UK’s largest theme parks.
Visiting the UK / Useful Info
- You may require a visa to enter the UK for business purposes. You can check whether you require a visa to enter the UK by visiting https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
- If you require any assistance, for example for Podmores to supply you an invitation letter, then please get in touch.
- Vehicles use the left side of the road in Britain, and manual gear-change is standard – if you're used to driving on the right, using an automatic shift gives you one less thing to worry about.
- For details of speed limits, visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/highway-code.
- Most fuel stations are self-service.
- Remember to look to the RIGHT before stepping off a curb.
- The emergency police/ambulance number in the UK is 999.
- Electric voltage is 230vac 50Hz 1 phase. The UK uses a 3-pin plug/socket.
- Shops in UK towns and cities generally open six or seven days a week. Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 17:30 is normal, and many shops trade on Sundays, typically from 10:00 to 16:00. Many, but not all, close on public holidays.
- Britain's unit of currency is the pound sterling (£), divided into 100 pence (p). Credit and debit cards are accepted in almost all shops and restaurants, though some may be reluctant to accept non-chip and pin cards.
- Banking hours are usually from 09.30 to 15.30, Monday to Friday, but some branches open until 17:30 and on Saturday mornings. Most banks and supermarkets have cash dispensers (ATMs).
- To call abroad from the UK, dial 00 followed by the country code (e.g. 1 for the USA), then the phone number without the first zero.
