Fringe – now in it second year – runs until 15th June and aims to showcase the city’s vibrant arts and creative industries scene. Over the next few weeks in and around the university’s Stoke-on-Trent campus there will be film screenings, live music, art exhibitions, night walks, a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, pop-up museums, markets and lots more.

Some of the highlights include:

• Some of the student designers who worked on Stoke-on-Trent’s award-winning Chelsea Flower Show garden ‘Transformation’ will be showcasing their work and inspirations – 11th June, 6pm – 9pm. Venue to be announced – check www.fringefest.org.uk for details
• On Saturday 25th May, a bandstand at Hanley Park will be transformed into a festival venue for Parklive, which runs from 12pm to 2pm
• There’s a pop-up comic book shop between June 7th and 17th
• The Amazing Camera Obscura, an old Victorian photographic booth on the College Road site on June 13th
• The London Road Festival on 8th and 9th June
• The grand finale on 15th June will feature a cultural parade.

Fringe Festival 2013 is co-ordinated by the Fringe team at Staffordshire University led by the Creative Communities Unit in partnership with B Arts.Visit www.fringefest.org.uk for more information and a full programme of events.

Community radio station Cre8 will be broadcasting on a temporary FM licence over the Fringe festival. It’s on 87.7FM in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle and you can listen online HERE

The city will welcome the Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series on May 21.

The winner of last year’s Stoke race, Helen Wyman, admitted she is relishing the chance to race in the city again.

“There’s always loads of spectators and because the circuit is right in the centre, there’s always plenty of people around,” said the 2011 series winner.

“Everyone’s always cheering and the crowd get excited because they see the riders every three or four minutes so they’re seeing them really quickly.

“Stoke’s probably one of the best supported leg of the tour.”

Click below to hear how Helen got involved in cycling:

Now the spin-off from that success is filtering down to clubs across the country – including Stoke-on-Trent. StaffsLive’s Tom Keating finds out more.

Andy Triggs-Hodge,  former Staffordshire University student, was part of the Olympic Coxless Four team that won Gold in rowing and beat arch rivals Australia.

It was a memorable race – like so many on the water in summer 2012.

A taster canoe session at the New Horizons Sports leisure centre in Stoke might not quite live up to that –  but it offers a good insight into the sport

So first thing’s first, getting in the canoe…and it’s not as easy as you might think.

Fortunately the instructor, Sandra Luik, is on hand to offer some much needed advice, and soon enough we are ready.

Sandra, 25, has been coaching sports for six years, and believes canoeing is something that all young kids should get into especially after success in the Olympics.

“I started when I was 19 years old, coaching and leading sessions, educating in all outdoor sports,” she says.

“But only over the last two years I decided to only coach canoeing and kayaking.”

Sandra goes through the different motions when using the paddles, showing us how to go forwards, backwards and a 360 turn in the water.

The instructions are clear and concise, and everyone in the session is eventually moving across the water with ease.

“It’s a different sport (canoeing) for people to try rather than football,” she continues.

“And you gain different skills as a result of controlling yourself on top of the water rather than swimming in it.

“With canoeing and kayaking if kids are seeing it on the TV, at the Olympics for example, and if they haven’t seen it before then they’re going to be really interested and intrigued.

“They will want to know what it’s all about, and having a programme like this can give them that opportunity to get involved with the sport.”

The free taster sessions have seen a good turnout.

Ross Hughes, 10, had been to a previous session and mum Samantha, 38, believes the Olympics have played a part in her son’s desire to partake in canoeing.

“It’s something different, rather than the obvious sports such as football and he enjoys it and it keeps him fit.

“I definitely believe the Olympics has had an influence on people’s decision to get involved within canoeing and paddle sports in general.”

Another participant Riley Cosgrove, aged 8, was attending his first canoeing session and has already signed up for a longer course.

He said: “I love being in the water and I thought this would be fun and something different to try.

“I play football all the time, but I want to do canoeing again.”

Riley’s mother Julie, 41, thought a 6-week course was a great way for him to develop the skills he had learnt while in the taster session.

“He’s a member of Cubs and they do a lot of open water canoeing, so I thought this was a good a way to teach him some of the basics.

“Plus it’s good exercise and it helps build confidence on the water.

“Since watching the Olympics last year Riley has wanted to do more water sports such as canoeing and these free sessions allow him to do that.”

By the end of the session,  it’s easy to see why people enjoy the sport and have fun.

Once you’ve learned the basics, you find yourself whizzing around on the water and questioning why you’ve never tried it before.

Following Team GB’s success in the Olympics last year, hopefully more sessions like the ones at New Horizons will give people a chance to partake in the sport.

And it could help lay the foundations for an even stronger team to take to Brazil in 2016!

For details on future canoeing sessions, call 01782 235037 or email new.horizons@stoke.gov.uk

Now the Burton-based fighter, who was British Masters super-middleweight champion, tells his story to StaffsLive.

He recalls the night which put an end to his career, and how life has changed since major surgery to his brain and months of intensive rehabilitation.

Lisa-Marie Burrows has this special report.

Speaking at Staffordshire Police’s first “oath swearing” ceremony in three years, he told StaffsLive: ”The plan to do that, which I will be launching in June, is being seen nationally as the most comprehensive and ambitious in the country.

“I spoke to the Prime Minister in some detail about what we were planning to do, and he was very supportive and impressed and he is going to help me in some of the stuff I need to do outside simple policing.”

Mr Ellis believes Staffordshire Police needs to be technologically up to date if they are to improve the services with £8 million to be invested in improvements.

“I see that as a really big pledge to make Staffordshire the most technically advanced police service in the country.

“I want by 2016 our officers to have the level of technology where they have no need to go to a static computer and they’ll have everything at their fingertips, and above all, it will all join up, because at the moment it doesn’t.”

The Stoke City boss, speaking in the wake of Ferguson’s decision to step down as Manchester United manager at the end of the season, says there has never been anyone to match the Scot.

Said Pulis: “He’s been the greatest football manager this nation has ever known.”

Stoke face Tottenham Hotspur at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday free from relegation fears after earning a point at Sunderland on Monday.

The Potters, who have injury doubts over Andy Wilkinson, Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson, are still chasing a first-ever top-half Premier League finish.

Natalie James, 21, from Shelton, is in training for the challenge which will raise money for people who live in poverty.

Natalie’s trek aims to help those who live in high altitudes of Peru.

As well as the £2,850 she has raised which will go directly to the charity, she’ll also get the chance to help impoverished families.

So far she has only been bucket raising but she plans to hold open mic nights as well as hopefully putting together a concert.

Natalie said: “I want to make a career out of travelling and as I’m going to be Chairman for the Staffordshire University Rag (Raise and Give) Society this opportunity is amazing.”

The opportunity to do this trek was given to many people but Natalie was the only one to choose to do this adventure, it’s not going to be easy though as she’s already been given a 12 week training plan from the charity.

Natalie said: “As soon as I heard of this opportunity I put my name down straight away.”

As well as the trek there is a further opportunity whilst she is out in Peru for her to spend extra time afterwards with the families she’s visited on the trek.

Natalie said: “I’ve never done anything like this before but it’s a challenge and helping people as well as learning there culture is special.”

https://www.myraising.com/natalie-jame/incatrek

Waring, 18, was recently released by Everton after spending three years with their Academy.

The 6ft 5in frontman, from Chester, was part of the Everton youth side which won the Premier League Academy Under-18 title in 2011 and he scored the winning goal in the final of the competition against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

He made one substitute appearance for their Under-21 side this season but made his mark while on trial at Stoke with two goals for the Under-18′s in their recent 4-0 win over Liverpool at Clayton Wood.

It is understood he has been offered a two-year contract at the Britannia Stadium.

But Pope, who scored 33 goals on his way to winning the League Two Player of the Season award in the campaign just ended, believes Micky Adams’ side will be capable of springing a few surprises.

Said Pope: “I think when you get promoted you try and stabilise the club and make sure you stay up first and foremost. Then the next season you can kick on.

“Depending on who comes in in the summer it could be quite a season for us. We’ve just had a decent season but we’re not going to rest on that.”

Pope rounded off his own successful campaign by playing in Wednesday night’s charity match at Vale Park in memory of the former Hanley Town manager Colin Stair, who died last weekend.

The Vale marksman, who played under Stair at Hanley Town as a youngster,  turned out for a team made up of club committee members, family and friends against Potteries & District Sunday League outfit Social Services in front of a crowd of around 700.

Added Pope: “It should be a 15,000 sell-out, but I’m sure his family will be very proud of the turnout. Hopefully we can raise as much money as possible for charity.”

League Football Education, alongside the PFA and Football League Trust, stage assessment trials offering the youngsters a chance to catch the eye of another club and continue their career.

StaffsLive cameras were invited along to St George’s Park, the Football Association’s National Football Centre near Burton-on-Trent, to see what went on.

Danny Jamieson explains…

(Additional reporting by Matt Ratcliffe and Lisa Burrows)