Staffordshire is one of the many landlocked counties in the West Midlands, known for its history of the Industrial Revolution (today the canals are mostly for riverside walks and boat trips, but were previously known for ferrying goods to London, back in the day before the motorcar). The River Trent runs for 185 miles and the smaller rivers of Pen and Sow are 22 miles or so. It’s not far from Wolverhampton (which used to be part of Staffordshire).
The county is also known for its pottery. Nice and nostalgic you say? Yes, but the industry is very polluting. So if you like to throw a pot on a wheel, download this e-book on eco-friendly pottery from Oxford Clay. It features 30 ways to make your pottery more planet-friendly.
Apart from Robbie Williams, the most famous resident of Staffordshire is the bull terrier. Sadly now maligned in the media, a good portion of shelter dogs are now staffies. Any dog can be unsafe, but 100 years ago staffies were known as ‘nanny dogs’ as they were protective of children. Nearly all cases today of dog attacks are due to poor welfare, lack of training and not knowing how to approach strange dogs (kneel diagonally avoiding eye contact and let them come to you). Heading straight-on to any dog (especially letting children scream) is not the way to go. Dogs trained with kindness tend to be no bother. Learn more on how to help prevent dog bites.