China lament

You could have a cuppa with Grandad every day
Jalima: You won't believe, but I knew a Grandad who wouldn't drink tea out of a cup. Reckoned the spoon always stuck him in the eye; so he'd sup the tea from the saucer, where he could blow on it if it was too hot!

I lived in Stoke-on-Trent (the potteries) for 30+ years and everyone had a friend or family member who worked in a potbank (pottery factory) now most of them have closed down and many have been demolished.
I find this really sad as a lot of the workers were really skilled in their field such as fetlers, spongers, hand painters, sagger makers. These skills are now dying and the beautiful china they produced is no longer fashionable.
I moved to Plymouth to buy a guest house and the crockery the previous owners left behind was horrible, stained and chipped so I got out my own china (a full set of Johnson Bros Eternal Beau) to use instead.
11 years later (with additional pieces added) I am still using it. Yes, it is old fashioned but I think it fits in with my Victorian house and it has kept its pattern after lots of use and dishwashing.

We were given a complete dinner and tea service of Johnson china, blue and white, just after we got married which we used for years. It came direct from the factory, I think, and cost very little. Unfortunately, it wasn't dishwasher proof so it faded and quite a bit got broken over the years.

Chewbacca - I think that is called serendipity!
Lucky you

What an interesting link to the difference between them all, Jalima1108. Thank you

I remember when M&S used to do lovely dinner services. I had just saved up enough to buy the white one with dark red and gold rim when they discontinued them. Presumably they were made by one of the British china factories.

Nope Jalima, definitely Tree of Kashmir. Its on the back of the plates!

Has anyone else got photos of their china collection? I'd love to see them! Please post if you have.

Tea tastes better out of china mabon!
I do use a mug but it is Aynsley china.

Chewbacca

I am in the mood now for going on a china search! DH wants me to get rid of what we have though.

Jalima1108 - I bought white/red with gold trimming china set from M & S many years ago and use it only at Christmas and New Year time. I love it and feel very happy using it. As I said before in another thread don't think the younger generation have the same enthusiasm for dinner services/chrystal glasses as our generation have. Shame!

Chewbacca - love your photo - a very good purchase I would say.

I do wish our retail market wasn't quite so flooded with Chinese produce. I am happy for them to have a share of our market, but their stuff is way too overrepresented. Sometimes it seems impossible to get anything that hasn't been made in the far east.

I still think about the white/red/gold dinner service Brunette! How daft is that.
I do have a nice but rather plain Royal Worcester service now but I doubt it was made in the UK.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201812/medium-772767-3ce4aef8-4b31-415e-a8bb-1df228192817.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201812/medium-849261-image.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201812/medium-869478-image.jpg

This is the 20+ year old Eternal Beau by Johnson Brothers that I use I my guest house.

One of our local charity shops said that she has a Russian man who comes along regularly to buy up any old china they have.
Apparently the Russians are very keen on our old bone china tea sets etc. So she said!

I like the lighthouse picture!!

One of my wedding presents was an eight piece setting of a Midwinter china dinner service in 'Pine Cones'. Very 'xmasy' and that was the only time it ever saw the light of day. It has followed me around in its 'tea chest' home in all the properties I have lived since my wedding 50 plus years ago. Is that design still around?

I'm not sure; I do have a few Christmassy dishes which spend most of their life in a box in the attic!

I too have a Midwinter dinner service but I can't remember what it's called. Anyone on here know? I'm needing a replacement dinner plate thanks for that best friend! but searches on relevant websites have drawn a blank.

It might be called Invitation Chewbacca

I have seen a replacement but it's on an American site
is this it?
www.replacements.com/p/midwinter-ltd-w-r-invitation-salad-plate/mdwinv/3415801

Is this it? I keep trying to compare the pictures so I'm not sure
www.chinasearch.co.uk/buy/midwinter/invitation/129309/dinner-plate/

I love my wedding China, we eat off it every Sunday as well as all other ‘special’ occasions. It’s unavailable now and whilst I dread damaging any of the items won’t stop using it.

Chewbacca
Your Midwinter is 'Invitation'.
We got a full set for our Wedding from my favourite aunt! It's very rarely used these days, but I'm not parting with it!
For everyday, we use vintage Denby, Greenwheat, inherited from DM.

Jalima and Juggernaut that's it! Thanks very much for that. Not worth risking shipping a dinner plate from USA though, it would end up in the same condition as the original!
I rarely use it these days but, for some silly reason, I'd like a full set to not use!