Monday Mural: Wedgwood, perturbing potteries' plates

An amazing plate mural of Joshua Wedgwood, made of 1200 or so plates in 18 different shades of colour, at the new Wedgwood Factory in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent. A MondayMural with a difference. It looked better or rather, easier to see, through a lens than in reality- lots of optical illusion going on.

I had a great day in the Staffordshire Potteries recently. An hour south from Manchester. After a look around the wonderful Moorcroft Pottery (new Glasgow School of Art inspired creation below left) shop, museum and new collections display we went to the new Wedgwood complex. As well as a factory and museum there are some upmarket places to eat and drink- all rather a fine experience (see photos below).

An amazing tour of the factory- some was what you’d expect but with many interesting facts, then we chanced upon some of the highly skilled  workforce, hand painting a pottery trophy for a top annual Canadian horse race, and a Harley Davidson fan who was delicately applying gold to a bespoke tea service for Russian oligarchs. We also handled a tea pot that retails at £7,000. Quite a contrast from the tea mug in my office which is a freebie from a local hi-fi shop.

Meanwhile back in Manchester, we are Europe’s 18^th happiest city, evidently.