Dr Richard Talbot is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Tutor to the Penkhull History Society.

Richard was born in the town of Stoke-upon-Trent and is a long-established academic historian.

He possesses an exceptional knowledge of the history of Penkhull and the surrounding area living there for over 40 years and having carried out extensive academic research related to the area whilst researching for both his M.Phil and Phd.

He attended Boothen C of E Junior School and St Peter’s Secondary School that is located near the old Stoke City Football Ground leaving with only a mediocre end school report and like many received a regular comment ‘could do better’.

Richard’s early interest from the age of eighteen following his reading of a small book written by the then Vicar of Penkhull, V.G.Aston on the History of Penkhull. It was his writing that was the inspiration that led to him writing several books, the first in 1969. He was later accepted as a mature student by Keele University gaining M.Phil.

Following the publication of his work entitled ‘The Royal Manor of Penkhull’ in 2010 Richard was accepted by the University of Leicester to study for his PhD in Victorian Poor Law.

Richard has also made significant contributions to the local community of Stoke-on-Trent especially with his campaign to restore and re-open the 1929 Art Deco Gaumont cinema in Hanley into the Regent Theatre is original name. It was achievement along with so many other objectives which were recognised by the award of an MBE.

Published works:
The Church and Ancient Parish of Stoke – 1969

The History of Penkhull with Boothen – 1971

Stoke Old and New – 1977

Fenton the town Arnold Bennet forgot -1977

Penkhull Remembered Again – 1980

The Royal Manor of Penkhull – 2010 (the largest history book ever published in N. Staffs with over 300,000 words and commencing from 2,500 years BC) In addition to around fifty or more articles published in the Sentinel and regular broadcasts on BBC Radio Stoke.

Stoke Baths and the Minton Memorial Building | Baths and Wash Houses Historical Archive

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