Reply to: Waterford Wedgwood in administration

[Pogle]

Stoke is a funny old place, but oatcakes, wright's pies, titanic beer and the vale drag me back from that there london every now and then.

Wrights pies are not as good as they used to be either!

[BoredBloke]

My mum used to have quite a bit of waterford crystal - the stuff when it was made in Ireland. Unfortunately it came to a sticky end when I toppled over in a rather pi55ed up state and fell on it. Top tip - don't try pulling your sock off with the big toe on your other foot when intoxicated and surrounded by lots of expensive crystal.

[norrahe]

There’s my point. If someone’s buying posh crystal glasses from a company called ‘Waterford’, then part of the reason for spending the money is the romantic notion of dedicated craftspeople carefully cutting the crystal glass, in Waterford (!!!), and not some mass production line in Elbonia which throws in a batch of 'Waterford Crystal' in between a couple of runs of cheapo carafes for Poundstretcher.

WHS!!!!

They used to be posh, not any more.

[Mich the Tester]

a lot of waterford crystal seems to be made in prague these days.

Well at least we can buy some cheap wine glasses...

when's the closing down sale?

There’s my point. If someone’s buying posh crystal glasses from a company called ‘Waterford’, then part of the reason for spending the money is the romantic notion of dedicated craftspeople carefully cutting the crystal glass, in Waterford (!!!), and not some mass production line in Elbonia which throws in a batch of 'Waterford Crystal' in between a couple of runs of cheapo carafes for Poundstretcher.

[norrahe]

a lot of waterford crystal seems to be made in prague these days.

Well at least we can buy some cheap wine glasses...

when's the closing down sale?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

To be fair, Wedgewood/Doulton had been badly run for years. Its not really a surprise.

Churchill and Steelite still seem to do ok, so there is business there to be won for well run companies......

Indeed and Dudson, last time I was there. Oatcakes are underated - if they were French they'd be highly prized!

[darmstadt]

This also affects the largest German porcelain manufacturer, Rosenthal, who are owned by them with up to 1600 jobs in danger.

http://de.reuters.com/article/deEuro...14242320090105

[Mich the Tester]

I don’t understand why two premium brands outsourced production; producing in Britain and Ireland would be a strong advertisement for their goods as genuine, quality articles made by craftspeople, which is surely what people are looking for when they buy expensive glass and porcelain. As soon as they outsourced to low wage countries, their product had little to distinguish it from the cheaper offerings at run of the mill shops.

[Pickle2]

To be fair, Wedgewood/Doulton had been badly run for years. Its not really a surprise.

Churchill and Steelite still seem to do ok, so there is business there to be won for well run companies. Maybe the wedgewood brands will be picked up cheaply by one of these, I hope so. But I cant see many of the 1100 jobs surviving whatever.

Stoke is a funny old place, but oatcakes, wright's pies, titanic beer and the vale drag me back from that there london every now and then.

[expat]

Lots of pottery once produced in the UK is now made in China & the far east, Royal Doulton being the biggest ( I think).

I grew up in Stoke where most of it was produced, my Grandmother used to work on the production line putting handles onto mugs and cups. The pottery industry in this country is now dead and I personally believe that the quality had suffered. I can spot the difference between Royal Doulton made in Thailand and Royal Doulton made in the UK. But then i grew up surrounded by the stuff!

I personally find it very sad.

On a business trip to Limoges once, I found that the town was not much into pottery any more, but rather manufactured plastics. They had first reacted to the declining market for luxury ceramics by diversifying into electrical insulators, big ones (strange to think of a pylon's insulators as being Limoges). Then they went into making the same insulators from plastics, then into other things from the same plastics. So the French pottery town changed its manufacturing over the years, to stay in business.

Better, some would say, than making very good pottery or nothing, if it comes down to the second of those.

[Purple Dalek]

I thought we'd have two bank runs and then the last of the manufacturers to fail.

Possibly we'll get the manufacturers popping off during the second bank run.

Interesting indeed.

[Pogle]

Oatcakes are by far the best thing to eat in Stoke.

[Bagpuss]

They still make nice cakes in Stoke. I particularly like the ice buns pipped with confectioners custard

[Pogle]

Lots of pottery once produced in the UK is now made in China & the far east, Royal Doulton being the biggest ( I think).

I grew up in Stoke where most of it was produced, my Grandmother used to work on the production line putting handles onto mugs and cups. The pottery industry in this country is now dead and I personally believe that the quality had suffered. I can spot the difference between Royal Doulton made in Thailand and Royal Doulton made in the UK. But then i grew up surrounded by the stuff!

I personally find it very sad.

[BrilloPad]

Weren't they producing in China already?