The Yorkshire and Humber Association of Civic Societies (YHACS) presented the society with the Peter Spawforth Award after judging the achievements of societies across the region. In 2023 the society came third and is delighted to have jumped to first place this time.
Goole’s winning entry was its Salt and Pepper Pot project, in which it commissioned salt and pepper sets in the shape of the town’s famous water towers.
The project was the brainchild of Stephen Walker, a Goole Civic Society Trustee, who started a debate to decide which of the towers was ‘salt’ and which was ‘pepper’.
This went viral, generating regional, national and international publicity for Goole and its upcoming Bicentenary in 2026. In total 600 votes were received and the debate settled – with the white concrete tower declared ‘Salt’.
Then came the task of turning the project into reality. An independent Yorkshire potter who had seen the debate in the press contacted the society offering to manufacture the salt and pepper pots.
The society took a risk on privately financing an initial order of 200 sets without knowing how successful the pots would be. To keep costs down it designed its own labels for the packaging, which were printed locally.
Once the prototypes were produced and agreed, the society announced it would be taking pre-orders. After just one post on social media, it received 170 inquiries in 48 hours! The final 30 sets were sold in 15 minutes at Vintage in the Park the following weekend and more than 30 people put their names on a reserve list for the next batch.
The society also received a request from Siemens for a special commission of 20 sets as part of its VIP gift package to celebrate the opening of its factory in Goole.
Since then the society has commissioned and sold a further 200 sets. It has requested the potter to keep manufacturing until it stops receiving orders – quite a task for one woman working alone.
The pots have gone all over the world. Families have been buying them as gifts to send to ex-Goole family members in places as far away as Australia, Canada and Dubai.
Stephen Walker said: “At the start we had no idea that pots would prove so popular. The society intends to keep production going and ensure that everybody in Goole who wants them will have their own set of Salt and Pepper Pots on their sideboards and tables.”
All profits from the sale of the sets are being ring-fenced for Goole’s Bicentenary celebrations in 2026.
Stephen Walker chairs the Goole 2026 Bicentenary Community Group, which brings together organisations and individuals planning events and celebrations for the Bicentenary. The next meeting will be on Wednesday 19th February at 11am at the Junction, Goole. All are welcome.