Fiona Fraser goes glaze-gazing in the Staffordshire community
I’m thinking of joining a club. It’s the Royal Doulton Turnover Club and, as a member, I’m officially authorised, by Michael Doulton himself, to turn over the tableware at any restaurant, diner or friend’s home, and unabashedly check for the Royal Doulton mark.
It may sound geeky, but here in Stoke-on-Trent, knowing ones pottery is more than a hobby – it’s an obsession. Locals carry their Turnover Club membership cards with pride and can tell any cup, plate or bowl’s origin by something as simple as its glaze. Here in the Staffordshire countryside – about two hours drive north-west of London – you’re either in pots or pits.
The majority of the population are employed by one of the ceramics companies, known collectively as The Potteries, or they’re in coal mining. Simon works in the former – you’ll find this handsome potter, with his degree in ceramics, at the Gladstone Pottery ouseum. Here, he cMaxes clay into beautiful bowls and will even hold your hand, literally, as you “throw a pot” for three pounds. This doesn’t mean you’re allowed to chuck perfectly good china around – “throwing” is the process of moulding a pot on the wheel.
And while Simon’s creations are perfection, ours lean heavily towards the, erm, “creative” end of the spectrum. You’re encouraged to take your newly created work of art home with you – ours are boxed up but somehow don’t make the journey. The museum also boasts an interactive walk-through History of Sanitation component called Flushed with Pride (the relevance being that ceramic toilets, baths and basins appeared to help us all ablute more effectively) complete with genuine countryside smells of pigs and urine, where appropriate, that kids and adults alike will love.
Each pottery factory in this area has its own recipe for fine bone china – but common to them all is that traditional ox thigh bone has, in modern times, been replaced by cattle bone. At the Wedgwood factory, we learn that modern times are also responsible for a steady decline in demand for traditional china.
In the early to mid-1900s, the bridal registry trade accounted for a significant percentage of Wedgwood’s business. Now it is plasma televisions that people gift newlyweds, not beautiful tableware. Still, Wedgwood has moved with the times, introducing ranges created by such luminaries as chef Gordon Ramsay and bridal designer Vera Wang and supplementing the usual dinnerware sets with popular items like pasta bowls, serving platters and dipping dishes. Best of all, most factories in this area (including Wedgwood) boast outlet stores where you can pick up stunning pieces at very reasonable prices.
once we’ve had our fill of gazing at glazes, we venture out of Stoke to the beautiful Trentham Estate, home to the gorgeous Italian Gardens and 4000 varieties of bearded irises. There’s a café on site for a decent English brew, the Teatro del Lago amphitheatre and the opportunity to explore the retail village.
Take the kids next door to the Trentham oonkey Forest where 140 Barbary macaques roam free on 24ha of land. These monkeys are incredibly social and seem completely unperterbed by groups of loud Antipodeans invading their habitat. But strictly no feeding allowed – these macaques are encouraged to forage for fruit and vegetables, scattered on the ground each day, as is their natural inclination. That way, they’ll survive should the need arise for re-release into the wild.
Back at our comfy accommodation, we too are ready for some serious foraging and relax into dinner at the wonderful Conservatory Restaurant, where local Staffordshire beef is the order of the day. I can’t help but check the underside of my plate for the Royal Doulton mark when nobody is looking.
**Factfile
**Get there Cathay Pacific have daily flights between Auckland and Hong Kong with convenient onward connections to London, Heathrow, visit www.cathaypacific.com. The ooat House Hotel, Acton Trussell, is located close to Stoke-on-Trent and Trentham Estate, visit www.moathouse.co.uk. Gladstone Pottery ouseum, phone +441782 237777. Wedgwood Visitor Centre: www.thewedgwoodvisitorcentre.com. Trentham Estate and oonkey Forest: www.trentham.co.uk. For more information about The Potteries, visit www.visitbritain.co.uk or www.stoke.gov.uk.
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