The end of an era

Tomorrow is a rather sad day.  The Hole in the Wall, the world's last traditional oatcake shop, is to close after a four-year campaign to save it from the bulldozers.

I wrote a post about them on 1st March 2008 (see here).  It's a reminder of the time when, long before the invention of McDonalds, the workers of the Potteries got fast food so that they could quickly have something to eat and hold down a job.

I had hoped that someone like the National Trust would regard this as part of our heritage, and help protect it for generations to come.  Sadly the Potteries has a rather poor reputation of preserving their cultural past, with buildings like the Wedgwood Institute badly endangered.

So, if you read this in time, pop down to the Hole in the Wall tomorrow and be served literally through the Hole in the Wall.

I wish Glenn and Sue all the best for the future, and remind my readers that there's still about 42 oatcake shops left, even if they don't serve you through a Hole in the Wall.

The Hole in the Wall

62 Waterloo Street

Stoke-On-Trent

ST1 3PW

Web: www.oatcakes.org