Once upon a time two middle aged but beautiful sisters set off on an adventure....They left the brooding foothills of the Moors in the land of the North early in the morning and ventured down the length of the country in search of the Middle lands wherein there was treasure to be discovered and claimed.....ceramic treasures.....from the house of Burleigh and Bridgewater............
Their journey was speedy and brilliantly navigated and they were there in the blink of an eye.....The house of Burleigh stood before them with a dire warning...
What lay inside they wondered as they entered the house with trepidation.....?Oh my...
Oh my, acres of blue china of all hues......Their little hearts were skip, skippety beating and singing hymns of joy.....
Which pattern? Plate,cup or teapot?
Omg don't make me choose....
The two sisters dug deep into their pockets and purchased beautiful blue treasures and then continued on their journey........
They searched for a pretty little, bijoux eaterie, a quaint vintagey tea room but their search was in vain , not a one anywhere and in need of sustenance, they lit upon a very popular hostelry selling burgers and milkshakes and were left with no choice but to eat said burgers and milkshakes.....not really something one wanted to blog about but the fair maidens were by this time faint with hunger and their principles rather compromised.......
Feeling stronger they cast their eyes into the distance and were dismayed to see no pretty little shops full of gorgeousness, oh, no.No wool,no fabric, but a landscape awash with vast houses, full of wares for little pixie people,Topshop and New look and Next, Primarni and places which were totally alien to the two middle aged but beautiful sisters who loved fair Cath and Laura.........They decided to head for their resting place for the night....A Quality hotel....sadly with the softest mattresses which were like sleeping on jelly...in fact so soft that the sisters thought they were waterbeds!!
Feeling stronger they cast their eyes into the distance and were dismayed to see no pretty little shops full of gorgeousness, oh, no.No wool,no fabric, but a landscape awash with vast houses, full of wares for little pixie people,Topshop and New look and Next, Primarni and places which were totally alien to the two middle aged but beautiful sisters who loved fair Cath and Laura.........They decided to head for their resting place for the night....A Quality hotel....sadly with the softest mattresses which were like sleeping on jelly...in fact so soft that the sisters thought they were waterbeds!!
That evening in search of a nice meal as recommended by a lady who worked in Marks and Spencers. They discovered, nestled between a disused carwash and half an acre of scrubland, opposite Mecca bingo and the Casino and just down from the lap dancing club, a proper pub,typical of the Middle lands...fearing that it may be full of fruit machines and toothless old men the sisters hesitated and deliberated.....
As this was an adventure they decided to be adventurous and entered the hostelry....(heartened by the note pinned to the door advertising the place as the best steakhouse for miles around run by Rob and Jane since 1993)....well dear readers...the steak, the wine and the homemade cheesecake were all exquisite and served by a delightful young man....the sisters ate their meal with gusto and retired to their jelly beds, sated and satisfied if not a little worse for the ruinous drink...which allowed them not to really bide or heed the noisy wenches next door who were shrieking their heads off through most of the night........at first light the damsels hot footed it out of the fair town of Hanley and sped off in search of the House of Bridgwater for a factory tour and much purchasing of china at 50% discount....What a lovely day they had.....................
As this was an adventure they decided to be adventurous and entered the hostelry....(heartened by the note pinned to the door advertising the place as the best steakhouse for miles around run by Rob and Jane since 1993)....well dear readers...the steak, the wine and the homemade cheesecake were all exquisite and served by a delightful young man....the sisters ate their meal with gusto and retired to their jelly beds, sated and satisfied if not a little worse for the ruinous drink...which allowed them not to really bide or heed the noisy wenches next door who were shrieking their heads off through most of the night........at first light the damsels hot footed it out of the fair town of Hanley and sped off in search of the House of Bridgwater for a factory tour and much purchasing of china at 50% discount....What a lovely day they had.....................
Lots of slipping,sponge fettling,dibbling, dunking and bottom wiping going on here......
lovely ladies doing the spongeware.....
The new sampler range which is so complicated...
One you all know,though I have never loved the spots range very much,but seeing it en masse at lunch it does look lovely and cheery.
Ladies doing the transferware......
25.000 pieces to dunk in the glaze per week...
The glaze is a hair's breadth....
The fair maidens had a go too....
Stars and spots...
All in all I can now appreciate why Bridgewater is priced at it is.The whole ethos is excellent, keeping British craft alive and well and using nothing but British sourced raw materials.
The two middleaged but beautiful sisters then went shopping.
