John Lee tries his hand at pottery making at World of Wedgwood in Stoke-on-Trent, England.
When two gruffly bearded men throw a pot together it's best not to mention the movie Ghost. But while romance failed to flicker between myself and instructor Chris at the World of Wedgwood, I at least got a (slightly wonky) vase out it.
The busy factory of one of Britain's most famous brands reopened its visitor operations in July, following a multimillion-dollar revamp. It's located in Stoke-on-Trent, the West Midlands city that has long been the historic heart of pottery-making in the United Kingdom.
And while its breathtaking collection of historic ceramics – recently gifted to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London but on permanent display here – is a key lure, a fancy platter of new experiences keeps visitors entertained beyond the displays.
Throwing your own pot – Chris deftly saved mine from becoming a spinning potato sculpture – is the finale of the factory tour (the tour costs around $20, while crafting your own Wedgwood piece is another $20, plus postage). The tour itself provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at everyone from handle casters to prestige throwers – listen carefully and you even learn that wagglers, jigglers and diddling sticks aren't just naughty euphemisms.
Glancing over the shoulders of employees – most wearing T-shirts due to the heat of the kilns – I discovered the factory floor employed thousands during its 1950s heyday but that mechanization – and a further plant in Indonesia – has reduced that to a few hundred today.
Not that production has suffered. Wedgwood's headquarters still manufactures some hugely popular lines, including this year's top-seller – a 50th-anniversary relaunch of the sparkling Wild Strawberry tableware – as well as $50,000 vases and 22-karat-gold-slathered plates that Liberace would have loved.
But it's the classic pale blue and icing-sugar-white Jasperware – still made here – that will always be linked to Wedgwood's image. Although, as the plant's excellent on-site museum and its several thousand artifacts reveal, it wasn't the only important innovation in the 256-year-old company's early days.
When founder Josiah Wedgwood won a 1765 order from Queen Charlotte for his shimmering cream-coloured earthenware, he dubbed his new range Queen's Ware. The savvy branding sparked a buying frenzy throughout the country from wannabe sophisticates. But while early successes were fuelled by these aristocratic fashions, the demands of the masses soon became commercially appealing. Documenting the company's desire to exploit any profitable trend, the museum showcases everything from Victorian-era hooka pots to – from the same period – eye-popping Egyptian-themed inkstands and simian-decorated jugs that alluded to the Charles Darwin evolution debates of the day.
Judging by the shop near the museum's entrance, today's tastes are more sedate. A display of individual teacups – sold in hatbox-like packages – almost seduced my credit card. And while there was also a tea-tasting bar and fancy afternoon-tea restaurant, I was happy to stroll the complex's landscaped grounds.
Alongside huge willow-branch sculptures of cups and teapots, I found a retro-cool cafeteria and a studio where visitors can paint plates. I also visited a second shop stocked with exquisite vases. They seemed to lack the lumpy uniqueness of my own creation, which I'm sure had already been earmarked for the museum.
World of Wedgwood is open daily in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent; worldofwedgwood.com.
The writer was a guest of Visit Stoke. It did not review or approve the story.