Wedding China, what have you done with yours?

Witzend I'm glad someone else cringed at that outrageous idea.
When I think of the families who could use all that willfully destroyed china, I could weep.

Unless, as you say, it is already cracked - but do they go through it ALL to make sure, I wonder?

In 1972 (12th August), we had Hornsea saffron as our dinner service etc. We still have all of it and I have bought more recently. It is used sometimes and has become sort of retro trendy recently. A friend has given me a couple of bits recently so I now have quite a lot. I still love it.

China smashing - how awful! Unless it was already cracked or chipped of course.

We recently attended a wedding where afternoon tea was served after the service - all on pretty, mismatched china from charity shops - and garden flowers were placed all along the tables in charity shop teapots. It was charming and so pretty.

Who else remembers Green Wheat? My folks had a set of this for ages - I always liked it. A sister in law also had a set, and when dd and son in law bought their first house (having been working abroad they had not so much as a teaspoon) they were very glad of all the Green Wheat out of SIL and BiL's loft.
Around 7 years later they're still using quite a bit of it!

It depends on the airline. Some will allow you more than one piece of luggage and will take a box so as long as the china is well-packed and marked 'fragile' it will come through intact.

Gonegirl I think you're very 'on trend'
As am I.

We had Poole pottery as a wedding present at my first marriage which was keot for best. Then we bought a more basic Poole set for everyday. He took the best set when we divorced.
For my second wedding we had Royal Doulton Juliet and have 12 place setting for both tea and dinner. Still have it all and did say if I reach 80 will use it for every day. Such a pity as it is so pretty but I doubt my children will want the bother of taking it back to England when I die.

Sorry I got your numbers wrong.

Thanks for that Gabriella46.

I know that's true BradfordLass in fact about 40 years ago I sent a royal derby China plate to my NZ aunt and she was so delighted. I was anxious about the post but it arrived intact. She sent me a photo of it in pride of place on her dresser!

I'm going to bring mine over BradfordLass - it could pay for my flight!

Gabriella I think that old china is becoming increasingly popular with younger people; it's 'on-trend' apparently, particularly mix and match.

It's a pity those who want to sell don't live in NZ. The Royal Doulton sets start at approximately £200 reserve at auction.

So prized are these traditional china sets that some outlets import copies; for a tea set you'd pay £500+.

While Britain may be flooded with unwanted old china, here it is as scarce as hens' teeth.

You can buy pretty china new but at a price:
www.smithandcaugheys.co.nz/shop/home/serveware/lady-carlyle-tea-cup-saucer-set

www.smithandcaugheys.co.nz/shop/home/serveware/15-piece-tea-set

I got married in 1971. I never kept anything for "best" - every day was a "best" day in my thinking. I used my china and silver every day and loved it. All the china disappeared over the years, and when DD got engaged I polished up all the silver and gave it to her. She now uses it every day too . It's a lovely Oneida design called Hampton Court and I love to see it on her table, for breakfast, lunch and tea.

I hate china cabinets. Sooo old fashioned and usually full of 'bits' and figurines etc...just like my nanny had.
You know you're in the house of an old person if you see one.

Find a tea shop (they seem to be popular these days) and offer it to them. I gave lots of white damask tablecloths to one near me and the ladies who run the shop were delighted.

Answering Snr69. Yes. This is mine. I bought it in the late sixties.

We have used ours but rarely entertain. It's not that fancy 1990s habitat. We also have a full canteen of cutlery. Keep thinking we should use it all.

I had a cabinet full of Royal Albert Country Roses. Dinner set and tea set. Coffee set. Soup bowls. Cake stand. The whole works

It was beautiful and was washed every six months. There was a time it was used at Chri****s but now my dd hosts that.

Six months ago I split it up and put it on eBay. Example... 4 dinner plates. 3 cups, saucers and tea plates. It sold well. Possibly because the pricing was more than reasonable.

I am happy that it has gone because none of our family wanted it. And what I sold totted up to a few £hundred. Nothing like it’s retail value but that’s how it goes.

Traditionally bought by the chief bridesmaid as a wedding gift here in Scotland ,mine is German Porcelain.only one piece broken ,by my toddler son 30 years ago .He loved it ,it wa sa sauce boat /bowl attached to a saucer and the wee boy liked his soup out of it .The rest is in the kitchen an dgets udes nwo and then ,it has a pattern on one side only of wheatsheaves ,I did have chrystal glasses to match only 2 liquer glasses left

We bought our Denby Gourmet Vanilla set from Selfridges and were upset that they would not deliver to Bishops Stortford where we were living at that time. One of the shop assistants overheard and said that she lived near us and if we could take half of it back on the train she and her boyfriend would bring the rest on his motorbike. True to her word they turned up that evening with the rest of the dinner service on the back of his bike! We were still using it up until a few years ago when, after many cycles in the dishwasher it started to lose the glaze. I still, though, use the serving dishes.

We are in the process of downsizing and make the big move at the end of this month. My Royal Doulton has been sitting in the China Cabinet for nearly 40 years. We will not be taking said cabinet with us, and as I know AC will certainly never want the china, I have decided we are going to use it all the time and enjoy it until it’s broken or we are gone!!!

We had a set of Royal Doulton Florinda China for every day use, it was dishwasher safe. The mugs were a lovely size and shape. I only have two soup bowls left.

The teaset of our wedding china sits in the china cabinet inherited from my gran and I admire it every day . Mugs and cake stand used regularly and dinner set on special occasions . It is Belleek .

Ours was a wedding present from a well connected uncle. Royal Worcester, six dinner, tea and side plates all trimmed with 24 carat gold. Never used and we had no idea what to do with them. This thread has given me some ideas, though.

We use ours on high days and holidays. Wedgewood Candlelight elegant and simple BUT it is no longer made so breakages cannot be replaced. Chosen because they were plain white and dishwasher safe. Sadly not future proofed.

I have just given mine to a charity there was 2 lots plus cutlery to match, the got £150.00 on eBay for the charity which made me very happy

Donated my full 12 place tea set to Help for Heroes. I was later informed it raised a fortune at an auction.