Three Cheers for Stoke-on-Trent

I've detailed the joys of Stoke recently. I left out its history of far-right politics, the massive unemployment, its sheer, defiant ugliness and Port Vale.

Now it's lauded in the national press for being the first city in the UK to sign up to the 10:10 pledge - to reduce emissions by 10% during 2010 - a really tough challenge in city destroyed by obsessive and socially-destructive road building (take six towns federated into a city, then stick a ring-road round each of them!), and formerly dependent on heavy industry (now gone, so no easy wins there).

Politicians always come out with this rubbish about bright green futures regenerating cities marooned by history (shades of Harold Wilson), but it might, might happen this time.

Oh, and Cynical Ben's wrong. Oatcakes are great. They're like wholemeal chapatis.