China Town is one of the more flattering titles that Longton has attracted over the years, and it is a name that recognises the town's splendid reputation for ceramic production. Big businesses such as Bridgwood, Aynsley, Webberley, Wild and Tams all flourished; the pottery firing process was aided by the so-called 'long-flame coals' particular to the Longton collieries.Surviving photographs of yawning marlholes speak volumes about the town's industrial past - and yet Longton also lays claim to the establishment of the Potteries' first municipal park, in nearby Dresden. The Gladstone Pottery Museum has been hugely successful in interpreting Longton's rich history, and this book similarly celebrates numerous elements of the town's heyday.