CLUB HISTORY
The
Potteries Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club had its inception on Thursday, April
25th, 1963 at a meeting held at the Wedgwood Inn, Cobridge, Stoke on Trent.
This came about after Mr.L.J.Pearce received a letter from Mr.Thomas
Field. (see below)
Mr T
Field,
22 Ball Lane,
Norton
Green,
Stoke
on Trent.
Dear Mr Pearce
I am writing to ask you if you are interested in forming, or being a founder
member of a new ‘Stafford’ club in the Potteries.
We need as many as we can of course, and I know you
travel to the Potteries Bull Breeds regularly so I took the liberty to ask you.
We have the support of the Parent club and we need a list of founder members so
that we can make an official request to the Kennel Club, although I have already
contacted them.
We
have arranged a meeting at the Wedgwood inn, Waterloo Road, Cobridge
for the 24th April at 8.00 p.m. I know it would be too much to ask
you to travel to the meeting (or would it). We would like to have your
membership.
Yours faithfully,
Thos Field.
P.S.
– G.Milward might also write to
you.
At the
meeting various names were proposed for the new club. One suggestion was North
Staffs & District SBTC, another was the Five Towns
SBTC. However, at a meeting on October 3rd, 1963 the name ‘Potteries
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club’ won by general favour, and thus the Club was
born.
This
particular October meeting was also the one at which the Club rules were drawn
up. Even at this early stage it was made clear that the committee would be
expected to take a full share of responsibility for the club, as membership
fees were fixed at six shillings single, ten shillings joint membership and
10/6 for each committee member.
It was
decided to hold two Sanction shows and one Limited show each year (with a view
to making plenty of new members at each show, no doubt).
Of the
persons present at the April meeting, Only Lionel Hemstock
was still connected with the running of the club in the position of Secretary,
and from the October meeting only Len Pearce and Jo Hemstock
were Treasurer and President respectively. They were all three founder members.
The
first show was held on July 25th, 1964 with Lionel Hemstock having the great honour of being the judge of 10
scheduled classes. He took over as Secretary in 1967.
It was
in 1968 that the club held its first Open show and began the policy of giving
Pottery special prizes which have become such a great feature at our shows.
During
the Jubilee Year of the Stafford we also gave
sashes to Best Dog & Bitch, Best Puppy Dog & Bitch and Best Junior Dog
& Bitch. Quite a number of the Pottery specials have been in Wedgwood
china, including those given at the combined Clubs Jubilee Championship show to
the first four exhibits in each Post Graduate class, which this club sponsored.
The
clubs first Championship show was in 1979 with Nap Cairns judging bitches and
Harry Wall judging dogs. Since quite early days the club has used two judges at
its shows which has paid off in terms of improving
quality of exhibits and in increasing numbers of entries. It has given
experience to judges and a wide variety of opinions to exhibitors.
The
club has always followed a policy of choosing judges from all parts of Great Britain,
and has played a full part in launching new people on their judging careers, as
well as taking advantage of established judges to go over the dogs at shows.
All
are made welcome to the Potteries shows. Our
policies have paid dividends as the club is very well established financially
and all its shows are well supported, not only by exhibitors, but also by
spectators who ‘would not miss a Potteries
show’. One word which is continually heard on people’s lips when talking about
our shows is ‘atmosphere’. Apparently the atmosphere at our shows is one that
people enjoy and we hope to continue to make it so.
Disclaimer
The
information given above, is as far as our records allow,
a true and accurate record of events leading up to the formation of The
Potteries Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club. This information is the only record
that the current Officers have available to them due to the first actual minute
book being missing.
