Thanks all for all the replies. Found a place to live close to the centre and I'm moving up on Friday morning. 1st stop after checking in with the landlord will be to buy a reconditioned pushbike, (I can hear my lungs coughing & spluttering already!)
I've found this page
http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/cityguides/city/stafford/essentials.aspx
is there anything anybody would like to add?
I particularly like Indian Food, can anybody recommend a good restaurant?
Also is the Grapes the best place for live music? not too keen on jazz, although the rock and jam nights sound good. Are these on set nights? (scrap that question, just found their website!)
Obviously missed the Garden Party :-( is there anything happening this weekend that I should go to?
Reading the beeb's website below, it appears that Stafford has many pubs, I particularly liked these comments from the same person.
"Worst thing about Stafford
If you're around 20+ there isn't really any nice bars or pubs that arn't 'trendy' or nasty. We want more old man pubs that you can go and have a quiet drink in"
"Best pub - The Railway
It's the only authentic old man pub left! You can get a nice pint and sit in a cosy room that has'nt changed for 30 years."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/mytown/staff/stafford/index.shtml
Personally, I like both, depending on my mood and whether I've a good book to read or not!
Having only seen the Railway Station in Stafford so far, I could not see an pub within a very close distance unless the Railway is the one opposite a garage that had metal shutters over the windows and looked closed down?
Looking forward to tomorrow night and if I can't find anywhere I like, at least I can pop to weatherspoons and sup some blackberry kopparberg!