The Staffordshire Signal Weekly: deliberate fires at Park Hall, ten councils become two, and Sir David Jason heads to the Regent

Plus the Big Staffy Stroll, and a Burslem war hero honoured after 108 years. This week in The Staffordshire Signal Weekly.

Dear readers,

It has been a proper scorcher, and our county is bone dry. Lovely for a paddle at the lakeside, far less lovely when it turns Park Hall Country Park into a tinderbox, which is exactly where this week's edition opens. Please do take care out there, and if you see anything suspicious, report it. A dry Staffordshire is a fragile one.

Elsewhere this week: the biggest shake-up to how our county is run in a generation, a Burslem war hero honoured at last after 108 years, Bucknall Park getting a wilder makeover, and Sir David Jason heading to the Regent.

The reorganisation is on everyone's minds, and if you are not sure what the future holds, you are in good company, because nobody quite is yet. What I do know is that the summer diary is bursting, festivals, science roadshows, storytelling in the parks and plenty more. If you are running something yourself, add it to our calendar for free, that is exactly what it is there for.

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Police appeal after multiple deliberate fires at Park Hall Country Park

Firefighters spent close to 24 hours tackling a spate of deliberate fires across Park Hall Country Park in Longton, and police are now appealing for information. Officers want to trace three to four teenagers, seen wearing balaclavas and riding e-scooters around the park while the blazes took hold. Beyond the disruption, the fires tore through habitat that took years to establish, in a summer where the ground is already dangerously dry.

Deliberate fires not only strain our resources but also cause extensive damage to local landscapes and wildlife.

Local Government Reorganisation confirmed: Staffordshire's ten councils become two

It is the biggest change to how Staffordshire is run in a generation. The government has confirmed that the county's ten councils will be scrapped and replaced by two new unitary authorities, North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire, by 2028. Supporters point to less duplication and lower costs, while Newcastle-under-Lyme and others warn about local accountability being lost along the way.

Campaign secures official recognition for Burslem First World War hero after 108 years

Private Alfred Holdcroft died of his wounds more than a century ago, yet was never formally counted among the war dead, until now. A determined campaign has overturned an earlier refusal, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has at last granted the Burslem soldier the official recognition he was owed for 108 years.

Big Staffy Stroll brings Staffordshire's ten-week Staffy Trail to a celebratory close

Ten weeks, and one very good dog. Staffordshire's official mascot, the Staffy, has spent the summer sending residents out to explore local attractions along the Staffy Trail, and it all wrapped up in fine style with the Big Staffy Stroll at Weston Park, dogs, families and all, ambling through the historic gardens together.

Sir David Jason brings new live stage show to the Regent Theatre

A national treasure is Stoke-bound. Sir David Jason will bring his new live show to the Regent Theatre on 7 March 2027, an evening of behind-the-scenes tales and reflections drawn from six decades on our screens. Expect Del Boy, Pop Larkin and a good deal more besides.

One more thing: watch the Big Staffy Stroll

We filmed the whole day out at Weston Park. Grab a brew, take a wander round with us, and if it puts a smile on your face, do subscribe to our YouTube channel for more from across Staffordshire.