An apology to all our email subscribers who have received this post already. Sorry about that, one of us hit the wrong button (no names, but it was Mark). We have decided to make this a Saturday blog entry, rather than a 'Mark's Midweek Magnet' post.
Special guest blogger this week - (drum roll) it's Yvette!
As Mark had decided to go to football for the day with a friend, but needed Yvette's excellent driving skills to get them "up North", they went off to footy leaving Yvette to go to the Wedgwood Visitor Centre/Museum for the day. Now, to be honest, I was not 100% sure if I could amuse myself for the whole day while waiting for the men to get away from the football ground before I ran out of things to see and/or do, but I was wrong. After leaving the men at the pub, I set the satnav for the Wedgwood factory site. Now, I will be the first to admit that I have a terrible sense of direction (which is why Mark doesn't drive - I need him to navigate) but I do like to have a rough idea of where I am going, so the satnav is more of a guide. Without taking too many wrong turns, I arrived at Wedgwood around midday.
To find the factory from the M1, follow the A50 west then look for the brown tourist signs just before you reach Stoke-on-Trent. If approaching from the M6, you follow the A34 southbound from Junction 15 or northbound from Junction 14, and then follow the brown tourist signs. The site is approximately 10 minutes from the M6 junction 15, and a few minutes from the Trentham Estate.
There is lots of free parking.
First of all, here is the main website for the visitor centre which gives lots of general information to plan your day. Current admission prices (2014) are £10.00 for an adult or £12.50 to include the factory tour. Child (over 5 years) and Senior price is £8.00 or a family group for £32.00. The site is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and 10am to 4pm at Weekends. Also, you can book tickets for single entrants or families online which saves time when you arrive. You can arrange group visits but need to contact the visitor centre prior to the visit.
http://www.wedgwoodvisitorcentre.com/
If you have a young family, there are plenty of things for your young ones to be entertained by, as the whole building and gallery have been designed to be as family friendly as possible, including specifically chosen objects to appeal to young children displayed at a lower level as their own special collection. Throughout the museum there are interactives designed especially to engage everyone - from the toddler in a pushchair to those that are simply young at heart. There are special family packs available on arrival which contain a range of fabulous activities for everyone. Children can also follow a seasonal trail to find specially chosen objects in the collection.
I was not too sure which area to start with, so went into the main reception area and paid for my visit and picked up a copy of their suggested route around the site. The leaflet is free and shows a suggested route with all the important areas clearly marked, although you can go in any order. Personally I decided to do the factory tour first as it was approaching lunchtime and I thought it would be quieter - and I was right. Once I reached the potter demonstrating how to make the fabulous creations, I was the only one there so had a long chat with him for about 20 minutes and found out some fascinating facts. Then he showed me his techniques. However, there were no "Ghost" moments with him assisting me handling the wheel (shame).
One of the regular events is the "go potty" in the studio (open 10am-1pm and 1.45-5pm or 4pm at weekends) where children of all ages roll up the sleeves and have a go at "throwing" on a potters wheel, creating unique designs or animal figure painting. Usually open every day. The visitor centre itself provides an opportunity to see the skilled craftspeople working on the pots etc. The centre has a theatre where films showing the history of Wedgewood are shown. The craft centre includes the craftspeople hand painting the pottery objects, figurines, jewellery and much more with many of these still being carried out the same way they were back in the 1700's. In this area, you also get the chance to be "hands on" to create a special memento to take home (at additional charge) from a pot, plate or a china flower figure. These are then fired and posted out to your home address.
After this I continued with the tour, and watched some fascinating multimedia presentations showing the history of Wedgwood, the brothers who created the brand and the journey from 1790. To quote the Wedgwood Museum guide to the museum: "This museum tells the story of a man, the company he founded, and the people whose skills, artistry and ingenuity have, for many generations, kept Wedgwood at the forefront of taste and fashion.The galleries are displayed chronologically from 1730, the birth of Josiah Wedgwood - to today. The collection houses paintings, documents and some of the finest ceramic pieces - all relating to the history of Wedgwood. Your visit to the museum is self-guided so that you can enjoy the treasures at your own pace. If your time is limited enjoy the highlights by following the icon ‘must see' pieces indicated. Their location is clearly marked by a red dot on the appropriate cases".
One of the most fascinating objects is the "First day Vase" of 1769 marking the opening of the Wedgwood factory, and the object was made by Joseph Wedgewood himself. The pot is fabulous and has such an interesting history.
I found these dots on the leaflet for the museum really effective as you then do not miss the important pieces of pottery. If you are really interested in learning more, you can apply for a ticket to visit the archives and see some really important pieces of pottery and documents from the history of the famous Wedgewood. You can see the info in the link below:
http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/visit/visiting-the-archive
I wish I had seen this prior to my visit as this would have been really interesting to me, but I will go another time.
If you are going to be in the area for a few days, there is a new "Ceramics Trail" which takes you around several of the potteries. The link to info for that is here:
http://www.visitstoke.co.uk/ceramics-trail/
The museum and visitor centre are designed to be very accessible. There are two wheelchairs for hire, but you need to contact Wedgwood to pre book if you would like one of these. There are toilet facilities for people with limited mobility (these are particularly good. As I have limited mobility I am always on the lookout to check for accessible places). There are induction loops in the education area, reception and specially selected areas within the galleries for those with hearing aids. There are plenty of places to sit down around the site if required, and within the museum, these are at places where you can sit and admire the display objects. Essential carers (ie wheelchair pushers etc.) receive free admission with the purchase of an adult or child ticket and there are baby changing facilities in both male and female toilets.
Should you or one of your party have a visual impairment, contact the site prior to your visit and a free verbal description guided tour can be arranged.
Once I had survived all of this, I needed a cup of tea and something to eat, so I wandered into the Ivy House restaurant and decided to opt for the afternoon tea which consisted of 2 very delicious sultana scones, some local strawberry jam and some thick cream along with a generous pot of tea, all served in or on Wedgwood china. The tea was lovely and after feeling refreshed I thought I would go and wander around the factory shop. Warning - the factory shop is HUGE and more like a warehouse than a shop. If you are thinking of purchasing some items - take a trolley in at the entrance to save you trying to work your way back. I did not purchase anything from the shop as my disability means that I drop things quite frequently and the thought of dropping some Wedgwood china scared me from shopping!
However, I had a wander round and you can purchase anything from simple white china cups & mugs, plates and tea services. There are also many objects sold as "seconds" which can be purchased at reduced rates or you could go and purchase some really beautiful items if you prefer. One thing that did strike me was the fact that this shop would make a fantastic place to have a wedding present list as the range of items for sale is extensive. Additionally there is retail shopping area which caters for the more expensive items, which also include items from Waterford Crystal, Royal Doulton and Royal Albert which are all part of the "Wedgwood family".
On the wedding theme, there is a "room" that can be hired for special events such as a wedding reception or similar - again contact the centre directly to enquire.
There are lots of events going on throughout the year on the site. The day I visited there was a large bus show with buses dating back to steam driven and I enjoyed an hour wandering around these buses before going back to my car. To check the events, either refer to the page below, or call the centre directly.
http://www.wedgwoodvisitorcentre.com/content/events
Well after all that, I was ready for a slow drive back to collect Mark & friend and we had an easy drive back home swapping details of our day, although who had the better day is still ongoing as the football team won their game and I loved my day wandering around.
Yvette's Top Tip
For something special such as Birthday, Anniversary or just a treat, you can pre book "experience days" with Wedgwood. Either an Afternoon Tea for Two (£35.00) or a Ceramic Experience Day (£49 per person). The afternoon tea comprises of a wonderful pot of tea and cakes in the restaurant all served on Wedgwood china, free admission to the Visitor Centre and Museum and a 10% discount on purchases from the shop and boutique. The Ceramic Experience Day looks even more fun and includes a coffee and some shortbread on arrival. Then a self guided tour of the Visitor Centre and Museum, with the opportunity to "throw" a pot or paint a plate followed by a 2 course lunch in the restaurant served by an attentive waitress/waiter. After this while you let your lunch go down you choose a gift of a hand made item of ladies or gents Wedgwood jewellery for each guest (up to the value of £50.00). Then shopping in the exclusive Wedgwood Shop with a 10%off your spend and finally a Wedgwood Privilege card to use on future visits. All in all the experience day certainly gives you a great deal. Note that the item you throw or paint will be fired and sent to a UK address. If you live outside the UK, there is an additional £10.00 charge to cover the postage.
Also, it is certainly worth pre-booking your tickets online if you can as this saves time at busy periods such as weekends, school holidays and the warm summer months.
And Another Thing....
Now, my rant is really aimed a certain type of person of which I am sure most people will have encountered at some point in your life to date. Maybe you yourself are one of these. They type is the one that MUST get through first to the detriment of all others. Then they stand right in the middle of each cabinet/exhibit or item throughout the museum/visitor centre etc. of any place of interest. They proceed to read every single tiny bit of print at a rate of around 1 word a minute. Should someone try to also look at the item or even dare to politely say "excuse me", then they are met with a stare of pure disdain (if you get a reaction at all) and also a sound of derision, or words along the lines of "impatient", "humph", "tut" and other words that could not possibly be posted on here. After that, this type of person ignores children in prams/buggies, the disabled in wheelchairs or people with walking aids or have any other type of disability and some of the worst offenders seem to deliberately get in the way. And, if you step within their personal space (about 5' all around) then you can also expect to get shoved in the back or side, foot and/or umbrella/stick grating down your leg or be on the receiving end of a swift kick. And of course, it will be your fault, and the person who does this remains confident that they have put the "ruffian" in their place. We have found that the best antidote to this sort of person is to do the same back and then completely ignore them - they hate it. If you happen to be one of these people (but I am sure you are not) then please remember that these places are for the public to use and not just for your own interest.
Thanks for reading,
Mark & Yvette
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