Bye bye Manchester Hello Liverpool - via Wedgewood Estate

 May 4th.  A rainy start to the day with a breakfast at Pret A Manger, 

then a walk to the Peveril of the Peak Pub for Little Sister’s requested photo shoot. 

Then  back to the idiosyncrasy of the car park payment system.  The dratted AI and camera recognition is a step or two ahead of my tired brain.

Satnav guidance to get out of the city.   Fields of bright yellow rape seed.   A thatched cottage - just the one but a taster of what’s to come I hope.   Green fields where sheep were safely grazing are much smaller than home and lots more horses.   Two huge wind turbines but not the army of them so familiar at home.   Motorways are much the same everywhere but Little Sister kept commenting that she had “bumper stickers” with the cars behind urging her to drive faster than the speed limit.  At one point I looked left to check for a clear way and noticed that the van in my sight was a bully - oops that should be a VW Bulli!  Crossed over a small canal and I saw a narrow boat navigating the small lock. 

Finally we turned off the motorway to local roads. To my delight there was a beautiful bluebell wood near Handchurch.   I had some anxiety when we seemed to go past the large sign posts for Stoke On Trent but Satnav guided us accurately to the Wedgewood Estate.   

On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this a solid 15.   I shook hands with Josiah Wedgewood 

then entered the museum where the delightful Julia introduced herself.  She sounded exactly like Aunty Rachel and was so excited to hear we had just arrived in the UK.  Guided tours run in the afternoons only but she graciously offered a bespoke tour and we spent an hour and a half in her care touring the museum and hearing history brought to

Wedgewood pottery was made not just for British Royalty (Cream ware was renamed Queens Ware when the wife of George 3 wanted some made) but also the Russian Imperial Family.   

The W family were strong in the abolition of slavery movement and pottery buttons were made and sent to America where Benjamin Franklin is said to have commented that these spoke louder than thousands of words.  Possibly quite true as they were not discreet - around the size of a playing card.

The famous Jasper ware was produced in a one off limited edition of a purple/pink for the Platinum Jubliee of Queen ElizabethII.   

I fell for a chess set (Not For Sale) and Little Sister fell for an Advent Calendar for sale at £865!  

Only four of the original Portland Vases remain but they are still made today and still have the wonky handles which were a feature of the original.

Kindly Julia used her influence to ensure us a table for a Cream Tea and of course we chose Wedgewood Original.  Delicious.

Then a safe trip through to Liverpool where we found our accommodation.   I’d booked a guest house elaborately named The Mountford Grove Suites.   In reality a very tired shabby chic room with mini ensuite in a Victorian building - minus the chic.   But it’s close to the church I want to attend tomorrow and a bed is a bed after all.