Unexpected sadness

Several on Amazon Printmiss

This is my Harleigh China tea set, given to me as a wedding present in 1970 by my uncle who lived in Stoke and whose wife worked in one of the potteries as a decorator I think.
In 1970 I thought it was totally uncool and for years it stayed in Mum's loft.
Now I think It's lovely and I use it whenever a friend comes for afternoon tea, or if I feel like being elegant for a change. The tea tastes nicer too.
I just wish my uncle was still here so I could tell him how much it means to me.

My daily service is a cheap and cheerful plain white with a rippled border bought from BHS 20 years ago. Before that it was one my dear mum gave me collected from vouchers at Gateway? Supermarket 38 years ago!
She's given me her wedding present dinner/tea/serving set, called 'Wattle' and made by Royal Doulton - I don't have the heart to tell her I don't like it......

I'm afraid we use a miscellaneous collection of plates and mugs on a daily basis - DH insists on using coffee mugs given away by a petrol station yonks ago (probably 45 years ) for his coffee- I dread to think what would happen if they got smashed!

jane10 if you're ever in Staffordshire the Wedgwood Museum at Barlaston is well worth s visit www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk

Years ago I was left my aunts best tea-set in her will. It was very pretty and I decided to use it when my nana and mum came one day. There we were enjoying our afternoon tea only to notice a bit too late that our 3 cups were all leaking !!! They had hairline cracks in them. It went to a charity shop (minus the leaky cups). I was also left her 'oak' tea trolley which turned out not to be oak and had a wobbly leg.

As for what I use now I am a fan of Emma Bridgewater and at least it is made in UK. There are often good offers on-line in the sale and also 'seconds'.

tiggy my DD has Emma Bridgewater everything. It seems very fragile though and chips very easily. She's always having to get replacements. I did tell her about good old Denby but to no avail. janea I'd love to go to the potteries museum. I've always wanted to go there. Suspect it would make me sad all over again though! We don't know what we've got till its gone!

My (now ex) DH and I chose a Coalport Revelry tea set when a dear aunt wanted to buy us one for a wedding present. What were we thinking? Cherubs all round! Needless to say it is still unused in my loft, as nobody in the family drinks tea. I did wonder whether I might find a buyer now that fancy afternoon tea is popular, if I can be bothered to dig it out.

Well that applied to the museum too jane - it was threatened with closure a while ago, but I think was rescued with an injection of capital. Josiah Wedgwood was an amazing man, starting out as an apprentice, and then designing the china. He was a scientist too, carrying out experiments to determine the best temperatures to fire the clay and to make new pigments, and also a very successful entrepreneur, exporting to the royal houses of Europe.

My dinner service is Wedgwood Edme, I love it and thankfully many years later it is classical enough for the new pieces they make, to match it. I also love that I can now buy mugs that match it.

However I originally started out with Wedgwood Rosalind, exactly the same design but with small deep pink roses around the edges, I do have a fair bit of it left but made the decision years ago to use it every day and not to keep it languishing unseen.

www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=wedod+rosalind&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xwedgwood+rosalind.TRS0&_nkw=wedgwood+rosalind&_sacat=0

If you look at the prices - I can now buy the Edme or Windsor, brand new, for roughly the same prices, and for not much more per item than a really cheap plain set from Sainsbury's that wouldn't be as durable - these sets are tough! I really love my china. I am the unofficial china-finder on Ebay for several older village friends. If anyone wants to try finding their own set - please watch out, many people won't post it, they want you to collect in person.

I still collect Midwinter Sienna, which now is now officially retro, you can get bits of it on eBay. I noted they were using it in the 60s scenes in the Theory of Everything film. I do use the little cups and saucers when we have guests for a meal and we have a cup of coffee or tea afterwards. You don't need a huge mug then. I suggest to printmiss, have a look on eBay.
I avoid buying new stuff if at all possible, as I agree with Jane10, I don't want to buy cheap imported stuff. I have some lovely vintage Scandinavian glass vases which again I bought on eBay, and look out for in charity shops.

I got a Wedgewood Ice Rose dinner service for a wedding present. I loved it then and still love it now. It's all on a big dresser, with lots of pretty pieces from the same range added through the years. For everyday I use plain white.
I use cups and saucers for Sunday tea. My grandchildren don't know what to do with them.

I'm another Denby Arabesque owner - from our wedding in early 70's. It was kept for special occasions but now I am trying to use is all the time. It is the only thing I have that is actually oven proof. Most modern stuff is microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe, but never seems to say ovenproof. We can have nice hot plates for our meals with Denby!
I bought some extra pieces from Ebay a year or two ago.
We use the very tall jug for gravy, as the proper gravy "bowl" is far too small! (and doesn't pour for left handers!)
Our first everyday china was Midwinter Romany and I loved it. I still have a big lidded vegetable dish and a few plates - all live in a cupboard and don't see the light of day but I can't bear to part with them.