STOKE-ON-TRENT, March 26 — With an expert flick of a gilt-covered paint brush, a craftswoman puts the finishing touches to commemorative mugs marking the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years.
Fraser, 57, whose father and grandfather also worked in the potteries, remembers them coming home with commemorative pieces from previous royal occasions such as Queen Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee marking her 25th year on the throne in 1977. The commemorative plates, mugs and other items Duchess China is making now were inspired by items produced in 1937 for the coronation of his grandfather King George VI.
“Obviously, a coronation year something we’ve never experienced before and something I don’t think you can ever prepare for,” said director Jason Simms, who took over the struggling firm four years ago with business partner Andrew Tooth. The factory is currently producing its ceramics five days a week instead of the usual two to three and has had to take on extra staff. — AFP pic
With so many firms having moved their production out of the country due to production costs, staff have retired or disappeared into different industries, interrupting the time-honoured passing of skills from one generation to the next.