THE POTTERIES - England

We screeched to a halt when we saw this sign so that I could hop out and snap a pic. B roads are the best.

I LOVE ENGLAND!

Where are we? Stoke-on-Trent, also known as The Potteries.

                   Lots of shops and factory's housing English pottery.  First stop: Emma Bridgewater.

Are you familiar with Emma Bridgewater pottery?  It's one of the few potteries that is still made in England and the dishes are beautiful.

Having just driven through torrential rain and watching flashes of lightening grow closer we were happy that Emma Bridgewater had a tearoom.  Fully restored after tea and scones, we plunged into shopping and found a few treats.

                                    This is the line I'm partial to: Black Toast and Marmalade.

Here are a few of the items I had shipped home to add to my collection.

We stopped by a few more shops and then checked into 

                                   
                                    The Graythwaite in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire

                                              What a great find this was (well done, Leslie).

                                                                    

                                   We were greeted with afternoon tea in the library and then

                                      I spied this gorgeous Lacanche range in the kitchen and

                                  these pretty flowers stashed in a Burleigh pitcher on the sill

                                      so, I just knew there would be a fine view from our room.

                
                                                   Hazel and John Cooke, Proprietors

              Hazel and John are quite the culinary team.  Hazel makes the yogurt,  John cooks the breakfast (on my current obsession French Lacanche range) using fresh, local, and organic products and her parents make most of the jams and preserves.  We sampled everything and didn't eat again until dinner.


                  

                          After seeing a few Burleigh pieces at Hazel's, we had to stop by for a peek.

Of course we had to buy a few things.  Well, more than a few things.  Leslie decided it was time to freshen-up her tableware and bought all sorts of plates, bowls, cups, and saucers.

                               
Here is my stash.  Those checkerboard plates were $4 each (originally $30 each) and work well with my current cobalt blue dinner plates.  Mixing and matching is far more interesting than a matched set, no?  We then placed a moratorium on additional dinnerware purchases and quickly got out of town.

                                             "Please drive with special care" is so dignified.

                                                           Next stop:  Chatsworth (finally!)