Stoke & Staffordshire

Local elections 2026
Local elections 2026

View from the number 38 bus as polling day nears

Voters will decide Newcastle-under-Lyme's council on 7 May. What is on the mind of bus passengers?
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  1. Pick of the stats: Bristol City v Stoke City

    The club badges of Bristol City and Stoke City side by side on a red background

    There is nothing riding on this game (12:30 BST) other than both teams trying to send their fans into the summer with something to smile about.

    Bristol City can no longer secure a top-10 finish while Stoke, having spent the first-half of the season challenging for a play-off place will end the campaign in the bottom half of the table.

    • Bristol City won this exact fixture last season 2-0, but have not won back-to-back home league games against Stoke since March 1959.

    • Stoke have won three of their past five league meetings with Bristol City (D1 L1), more than their previous nine beforehand (W2 D1 L6).

    • Bristol City have only won their final league game in one of the past 10 seasons (D3 L6), winning 2-0 at QPR in 2022-23.

    • Stoke City have only lost their final league game in one of the past 14 seasons (W8 D5), losing 2-0 at Watford in 2022-23.

    • Stoke are guaranteed to have a bottom-half finish in the Championship for an eighth consecutive season – since 2018-19, they are one of eight ever-present Championship teams and they have the fewest points of those eight (448).

    BBC How to follow your team on a black background

  2. Road workers wearing orange and yellow hi-vis jackets and trousers work in a road, with large vehicles to their left and a building behind them. There is a sign behind them reading "ramp ahead"

  3. Two images side by side of long traffic queues on a motorway, with cars, lorries, vans and trucks queuing in four lanes.

  4. A group of five Teenage boys in blue hoodies that have the green and yellow Endon high badge on.

  5. View is from the back of a bus, with the gangway down the middle. The seats either side have orange headrests and there are handle rails down either side. Windows fill each side of the bus and there are two women sat together on one set of seats, one brunette and one blonde and they have their backs to the camera.

  6. Jon Brady Port Vale manager smiles after a match

  7. A selfie of Mark Beech who is smiling and has grey hair and facial hair. He is wearing a bright teal blue shirt and is in a garden with trees in the background

  8. The yellow vehicle with lights on the cab can be seen by a pub in the city behind a small wall.

  9. The brown fabric of the tented marquee spans an outdoor area at the back or side of the pub. It is behind a medium-sized wall with the pub then behind the marquee. A car park can be seen on the right of the image.

  10. A police officer in a black and white chequered hat with a crest on it. He is wearing a black vest, radio and lanyard.

  11. Claire and Kayla are nuzzling one another and Kayla has her hand around her mum's head and is smiling, as is her mother. Kayla has brown hair which is plaited . She has a pink jumper on and what could be a brace or strapping over her chest. Claire has a patterned top and brown hair.

  12. Cars parked on a road with blue and white police tape across the road with ared and white road closed signed. Police officers and a police car is in front of the police tape and a woman with two children sitting on a wall with a blue and yellow Lidl sign in the car park behind her.

  13. Penkridge fast bowler Myles Davis is in his club training kit standing on a cricket field

  14. The brown brick building has a large Middleport Pottery sign in black and white high up. A chimney can be seen behind and a red painted door and a pink building can be seen on the right of the image at ground level. The building appears to be by water with a small maroon boat moored a few feet away.

  15. A bald gentleman wearing glasses, a green polo and grey trousers. he is stood on a narrow pavement in between a road and field.

  16. A woman with blonde hair and a green top with a woman who has brown hair and is wearing a pink and purple top

  17. A man with long white grey hair in a dark navy suit, white shirt and yellow tie. He wears glasses and is standing outside a large light stone building with black metal fencing with good rope-type decorations.

  18. Ali France, a deaf social care worker, standing outside with her arm around Sarah Forsyth, a woman she helped.

  19. Two firefighters, in uniform, have the back to the camera. The firefighter on the left is holding a hose, which is spraying water. The one on the right has their hand resting on the shoulder of the other firefighter

  20. Port Vale boss Jon Brady stands on the touchline with folded arms

  21. A country road leading to a junction, with a cottage to the left. Acres of hills and green farmland can be seen ahead

  22. Mugshot of Ashley Pointon in a grey t shirt. He has brown hair and a brown beard.