Care of your Collectable China

If like me you take pleasure in collecting and enjoying china and table ware from a bygone era, there comes a time when a box or a spare cupboard is not going to hold all your treasures.
You begin to ask yourself a few questions.

• Where are you going to keep it?
• What to do with your increasing hoard?
• How are you going to organise your collection?
• Am I making random purchases?
• Do I need to focus my collection more?
• How will I keep it clean?

Storing your Collection

If you have a spare room in your house, your problems are solved! If like me all spare space is taken in your abode, you will have a problem, as your beloved collection begins to invade your home. There are only so many items you can put on display.

Teapots and Coffee pots can take up a lot of space. A good investment would be an outdoor storage unit or storage box, they are made of rigid plastic and of course are weather proof, and they can be padlocked. They are easy to assemble, and can be purchased quite cheaply from somewhere like Argos, or Garden stores.

If your purse can stretch further, what about a small shed? If you are feeling adventurous and are the handy and arty type, put up some shelves and paint the inside, and display your lovely crocks.

Organising your China


Once you have got your storage sorted out, you can begin to organise your tableware. Now is the ideal time to have a good look at what you have been buying. When I first started collecting I bought anything and everything that had a makers stamp on.
Getting my storage sorted out, helped me focus on what I really wanted to collect, and keep.

If you love iconic tableware from the 1960s concentrate on this era. Keep all items from the same design together, this prevents buying too many plates, for example,when you really need some cups. Sell the other items on ebay, and get a bit of cash for future acquisitions.

Donate any surplus items to your local charity shop. Give another enthusiast the joy of discovering your cast offs.   You will have created more space for the pieces you love. Get rid of any cracked or chipped articles, unless really valuable.

Cleaning China

Don’t put china in the dishwasher, if there is any gilt on it, it will wear off. Hot soapy water is the best way to clean china. If you have any tea stains, gently soak in sterilising solution. The type that is used to sanitize baby’s equipment is fine. Rinse well afterwards. Get a little bottle brush to clean the inside of spouts, or difficult to reach places.

Enjoying Tableware

It’s lovely to collect tableware, but don’t forget to use it and enjoy it. It will make a visit to your house memorable.

After all that’s china was created for!  

Ridgway Homemaker

The Homemaker pattern by Ridgway has become one of the most recognisable and collectable tableware from the 1950, and 1960s.

It is decorated with iconic black and grey images from the era, household items, plant pots and furniture, and an abstract radio/tv waves background. It really symbolises that revolutionary and exploratory age.

The dinner plate shows these images to their best advantage.

Enid Seeney (1931-2011) and Woolworths

Homemaker and Barbecue by Ridgway

Enid Seeney, the designer of Homemaker served her apprenticeship at The Spode Copeland works.

In 1951 she joined the Booths Colclough factory, in Stoke On Trent, which was part of the Ridgway group.

The design was a slow starter as far as buyers were concerned. Initially Woolworths placed only a small order and sold it in only a few of the flagship Woolworths stores. This was after Enid Seeney had left Ridgway. Apparently she didn’t make any money out of this contemporary design.

Homemaker became very popular and was expanded into the other Woolworth stores. It was a cheap tableware to buy and collect. Appealing to the aspiring housewife of the age.  The tableware was made until the 1970s.

Collecting Homemaker

The cereal bowls, and the large and smaller plates are still fairly affordable, but there has been an incredible rise in the price of the rarer items such as the tureen, teapot and the ‘Cadenza’ coffee pot. I have noticed a decline in items for sale in this design on ebay. Are collectors hanging onto their Homemaker?

There is also a rust coloured version a must buy if ever spotted.

Ridgway Barbecue

I came across this design, also a Woolworths and Ridgway collaboration, while rummaging in my local charity shop.

My interest was alerted by the black cups, they reminded me of Homemaker. The plates and saucers have little images of skewers, salt and pepper pots and other items for the barbecue: Mushrooms, onions, fish and meat.

For a few pounds they were mine, and I headed home for a bit of research online.
Information seems very scarce.

The designer was Margaret Simpson and they were made for the Australian market. I hardly ever see any for sale on ebay.

I am unsure if this pattern will ever be as collectable as Homemaker. But it’s a variation on a theme and its rarity makes it an interesting collectable.

Would I buy a chipped Homemaker piece at the right price?   Probably.

Happy Crocking.

Further Reading
Homemaker: A 1950s Design Classic

Making a Perfect Pot of Tea

Making a pot of tea.  Nothing could be simpler. Or could it? How many of us settle for a weak warm milky mash? Or bypass the pot completely, and dunk a sad bag into a mug of hot water, and hope for the best. All because we can’t be bothered to wait a few minutes to brew a pot up properly.

In this hurly burly world we live in, I think we owe it to ourselves, at least once a day to make a decent cuppa.

How to make a Decent Cup of Tea



Lingard Teapot and Infuser

1. Boil the kettle with fresh water from the tap, don’t use re boiled water as it diminishes the oxygen content.
2. Warm the pot by pouring a small amount of boiling water from the kettle into the teapot.
3. Swirl and discard.
4. Put one rounded teaspoon of tea per person, and one for the pot. If you are using a 2 person tea pot, that’s 3 teaspoons of tea.
5. Fill with boiled water.
6. Stir briefly, and leave to brew, for between three to five minutes.
7. Your tea should be a golden colour when milk is added.
Don’t forget you tea strainer when pouring.

The Perfect Accompaniment to a Cup of Tea

Your tea is brewing, so what do you do for five minutes?  Just enough time to decide what accompaniment to take with your perfect pot of tea.

Milk seems to be a favourite, some school of thought add the milk after the tea is poured, and some before; I personally always add it before. Don’t use creamy milk, it spoils the flavour of the tea.

Sugar: only a little is required.

Lemon or orange is a refreshing alternative, squeeze the fruit and add to taste, include some honey or ground ginger, to enhance flavours.

Biscuits: A cuppas too wet without one!

Reading matter and a comfortable chair.

Enjoy.

Enjoying a Cup of Tea

After water, tea is the most widely drunk beverage on the planet, but it’s used for far more than to quench the thirst.

Tea is there at all levels and on all occasions in peoples lives. It has a high standing at social events, and celebrations.

Sultry afternoon teas on the lawn, or high teas with dainty cucumber sandwiches and exquisite cakes taken in the conservatory, as practised by the English, or the gentle refinement of the Chinese and Japanese ritualized traditional tea taking.

Middle Eastern countries take pleasure in having tea at the centre of their social gatherings, and India serves tea at all domestic gatherings and functions.

Different Types of Tea

There are a least 4 different types of tea;

Black Tea; this is oxidized more than the other leafs, and is therefore stronger. It is the most widely drunk tea in the U.K. There are many different types of Black tea:

• English Breakfast Tea
• Assam
• Darjeeling
• Ceylon Tea

Green Tea; is made from one particular leaf, and has very little oxidization. It is widely regarded for its health benefits, and as a natural source of antioxidants.

• LongJing
• Schincha

Oolong Tea; a traditional Chinese tea, also grown in Taiwan. The leaves need to be brewed for longer, and can be used more than once. The flavour can actually improve the more times it is brewed.

• Ti Kuan Yin
• Formosa Oolong

White Tea; A premium tea, it is less processed and the lightest tea. It has a slightly sweeter more delicate taste. A more expensive tea, loved by The Chinese Emperors..

• White Peony
• White Silver Needles
• White Darjeeling 

There are also lots of herbal and fruit teas.

Put the Kettle on

Whether tea’s taken at the beginning of the day, as a pick me up. At the end of the day as a relaxant.  For greeting visitors, or for its health benefits. Tea is a massive part of our lives and culture, and that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.

Enjoy your cuppa!

The Boston Tea Party

‘No Taxation without representation’ was the cry from Colonists in America, when it was part of the British colonies back in 1773. Tax was being levied by the British Parliament, by way of the Tea Tax, but the Americans resisted as they had no representation in the British Parliament.

Officials in Boston Harbour in Massachusetts refused to return the taxed tea to Britain. Political protest activists boarded the ships and threw the tea into the Boston Harbour.


Tea Time in Boston

This act was a defining moment in the struggle for independence in America, and another step towards the American Revolution.

The 16thDecember is the date it all happened. Why not mark the occasion?
Treat yourself to a different tea for a change.

We are all guilty of brewing up with the same old’ bag’ daily, yet it’s so easy to experiment with a new blend.

Your local supermarket is an ideal place to start researching, and experimenting, most can be purchased quite cheaply. Look on online; there are myriads of tea companies out there with an assortment of different blends to try, and plenty of information, for the connoisseur. Most come in their own lovely little tea caddies to enhance the experience.

Treat yourself to a funky tea strainer or infuser. Visit your local Kitchen Ware store, or source a vintage infuser or strainer on Ebay. There are some weird and wonderful designs out there just waiting to be enjoyed.
Remember all good tea needs to be brewed in an appealing teapot and served in a china tea cup.

Special Tea Time Gifts

Source a small pre loved china teapot such as a Sadler, box it up with a china teacup and saucer. What a lovely gift. Mismatch your items. Include a small caddy of tea and an infuser.
A gift that can be enjoyed all year round.

Make tea time an occasion, and be Darjeeling!

Collecting Marks and Spencer Discountinued China

We all recognise what a stalwart of the High Street Marks and Spencers is. As consumers their table ware of the past and present has been fresh, novel and certainly worthy of the Marks and Spencer name and reputation.

The sizes are generous and the wares study and hard wearing.

There have been heaps of varieties patterns and designs. Many of the discountinued ranges have  plenty of different elements to collect. As well as the usual cups and saucers, tea and coffee pots, there have been trays, cutlery, utensil jars, saucepans, knife blocks and so on, the list is endless.

Collecting Marks and Spencer Autumn Leaf

So why pick Autumn Leaf to collect? The small green leaves with the diminutive white and gold coloured flowers set against a white background, lends a clean, airy and refreshing element to the ware.

The tea and coffee pots are ‘big hearted’ and the cups and plates  solid without appearing chunky.

The range is extensive and some of the more unusual items can still be picked up quite easily from the usual venues of charity shops and  car boots.

For the more sought after pieces I have come across a fabulous site that deals solely with Autumn Leaf replacements. It also gives a list of all the collectables, and outlines a brief history. Very interesting!

 www.autumnleavescountrykitchen.com  

Discontinued Marks and Spencer Table Ware

Of course there are other designs you may also like to look at and collect. Ebay as always is a good starting point to familiarise yourself with the design. Below are a few good looking ranges;

• Harvest
• Oriental Garden
• Hampton
• Damson
• Cranbrook
• Wild Fruits

Teapot collecting

You may decide that collecting a whole range is beyond your capability and pocket. So why not just concentrate on collecting discontinued Marks and Spencer tea pots. The vast range of differing styles, shapes and colours will make a fascinating display, and so different from the usual collections of teapots shaped like cakes, animals, houses and so forth.
  
Check your future purchases for cracks and chips.

Happy Crocking! 

A Guide to Collecting China from the 1980s

Johnson Bros - Eternal Beau

In my quest to enhance my collection of crockery, china and table ware from bygone eras, I regularly come across a design classic of the 1980s. Eternal Beau. 
This massively popular tableware from Johnson Brothers was on the wedding list of nearly every prospective bride from that era.

The octagonal shaped plates and angular teapots and tableware was inspirational at the time. The predominately white china was edged with green and decorated with pink delicate flowers and bows.

The collection went far beyond plates cups and saucers; it included clocks, storage jars, and more bizarrely, curtains and Christmas candle holders!

As usually happens with very popular trends they soon fall out of fashion and often become a thing of ridicule. Eternal Beau certainly became a victim of its own success.

Collecting Eternal Beau

Eternal Beau is still a little out of favour, evidenced by the amount still to be found for sale in charity shops, car boots and ebay.

Good news for the avid collector!  Pieces that have defined an era and now are out of fashion are always worth looking at as an investment. They are bound to come back into favour as people get older. Eternal Beau will be remembered by them with sentiment and fond memories, and a desire to start collecting  again.

Look for the out of the ordinary items, clocks, lemon squeezers, even the Christmas Candle holder!
The wine glasses and soup tureen look especially stylish.


Ideas for Collectors

A unique idea is to make a collection of Eternal Beau and pass it onto a young female family member as a special gift for a particular birthday or occasion. It shows originality and thought.

Johnson Brothers

Johnson Brothers also made other patterns in the octagonal shape; although they didn’t seem to be as popular as Eternal Beau, and the range of wares was smaller.

• Fresh Fruit
• Sonata
• Eternal Belle
• Garden Trellis
• Evensong
• Greenfield

Check them out on ebay to see how few are for sale.

If you see any of these on your collecting travels, snap them up, they could be very sought after in the future. As always check carefully for cracks and chips.

Happy Crocking!

Ideas for Special Occasions using Collectable China

The block pastel colours of tableware from the 1950s and1960s are unarguably attractive. During the war years, bright colours in interior design, and indeed crockery was banned, so a splash of colour in chinaware was a satisfying and encouraging sight after the grey and austere period of the late 1940s.

Most of the well known pottery makers of the time came out with pastel coloured tableware ranges including pale blues, pinks and greens. The ranges had assorted coffee and tea sets, with varying shapes and styles. 

Using your Collectables for Special Occasions.

A selection of Pastel China Ware

Baptisms, Christenings and Naming Ceremonies are special events in any families’ diary. So why not make it an occasion to remember?

Your celebratory cakes and tea will taste much nicer, and create a lot of more interest if served on an eclectic range of china ware.

 

Why not take the time to assemble a collection of retro pastel tableware to compliment your special occasion? For traditionalists a collection of pink or blue tableware to celebrate the naming of baby girls or boys is an original and memorable way to mark your special occasion.
 

Celebratory teas in the springtime could look fresh and novel in tones of pastel yellows or pastel green china. Or maybe combine the colours and shapes to create a random dolly mixture, pastel assortment.

Once you have chosen your colour scheme don’t try and collect all your crocks from the same pottery; the different shapes and styles of various makers will complement each other and add interest and an asthetic quality to your afternoon tea.

Where to find Collectable China

As always, pastel block coloured chinaware can still be found quite easily and cheaply in charity shops, car boots and Ebay. Now is the time to collect these little gems. As time goes by they will become rarer and more expensive.

If you have spent money, time and trouble sourcing your collection  I wouldn’t put any of this china in the dishwasher. Instead wash your china ware well in hot, soapy water.

The Future of your China Collection

Once the special occasion is over, pack your collection away in a distinctive box along with any other mementos. This would be a fabulous gift to give to your grown up off spring on the occasion of their 18th or 21st birthday or on their engagement or marriage.

Picture show items from my own collection.

• Johnson Brothers: Green Horizon
• Johnson Brothers: Blue Cloud
• Johnson Brothers: Rose Cloud
• J&G Meakin: Rosa
• Woods Ware: Beryl
• Grindley: Laburnum Petal
• Spode: Green

    Happy Crocking!

Links to my Other Crockery Articles

Advice on Christening and Naming Cakes

Beginner's Tips on Collecting Cornish Ware

The blue and white striped design of Cornish Ware brings to mind sun dappled farmhouse kitchens and unhurried baking days. The air filled with the warm smell of homemade cakes and pies.
Pine dressers filled with different sized blue and white bowls, plates, jars, and caddies bearing names of common and unusual ingredients is a pleasing and comforting sight.

Brief History of Cornish Ware Pottery

The blue and white stripe of Cornish Ware was meant to represent the blue sky and the white clouds of Cornwall.
Cornish Ware does not originate in Cornwall but at Church Gresley in Staffordshire made by T.G Green. The modern look of Cornish Ware appealed to the families of the 1920s.
Jars and Caddies could be ordered from the maker bearing whatever choice of ingredient was required.
TG Green experimented with different colours in the late 1950s.
In the 1960s the designer Judith Onions was brought in to give Cornish Ware a new look, the bases are wider, but they still look modern today. 
TG Green produced a special blue and navy version for Marks and Spencer in the 1990s, but these do not have a back stamp.

Gold, Red and Yellow Cornishware

TG Green brought out a buff and white version, called Cornish Gold, and a yellow and white version in the 1950s. They also experimented with a red and white design, but trouble was encountered with the red pigmentation so it was discontinued.

Collectable Cornish Ware

Jars and Caddies bearing unusual ingredient names, such as Gravy Salt or Bi Carbonate of Soda, are fetching higher prices due to their rarity. Some names may be one offs as these were ordered specifically for individuals.  Also look out for smaller jars with names of different herbs and spices, they would be lovely to make a collection of, and may be slightly more affordable, especially if purchased individually.  The red and white version is also of special interest once again due to its rarity.

The Judith Onions 1960s newly designed Ware is marked on the back and is also a fine group of Cornish Ware to collect.

About Judith Onions

I’m going to be looking out for a range Judith Onions designed for the Channel Islands, very stylish and rare.
Remember, when searching for your little gem:

• Do your home work, look on ebay, it can help you become familiar with different shapes and   styles.
• Don’t over spend, keep to a budget.
• Check carefully for damage, I personally never buy any item that is cracked or chipped, no  matter how appealling it is.
• Look out for fakes.
• Check your back stamps so you know what date your piece come from.

Enjoy collecting your wares, Happy Crocking!

Idiot’s Guide to Collecting English Crockery

So you want to start collecting crockery? Where do you begin? It’s not as difficult as one might think. Ebay, car boots and flea markets will yield the most unexpected surprises to thrill the avid crockery collector. I have a penchant for teasets from the 1960s. This means doing some homework first.

Helpful Tips for Collecting Crockery

The following simple tips will prove invaluable and with experience, you will become more intuitive to finding that something special.
Firstly, go on the internet. Look on Ebay at teapots, tea cups etc: whatever appeals to you and looks attractive. The seller has usually done the hard work for you.

There is usually a picture of the back stamp and a description and date from which the article comes from. If the stamp does not reveal the name, you can get a catalogue informing on the crockery maker. I would recommend the Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks by Geoffrey A Godden.

• Look at other seller items from the same pottery maker, you will soon get an idea of different patterns, colours and shapes that are particular to an era. With experience you will discover you will get a feel for how old an item is by its design.
• Before long you will be able to identify if a coffee pot comes from 1960s, or if a certain milk jug is a Johnson, or a Meakin etc: Johnson’s Grey Dawn were conceived before the 1960s. this design has to me become easy to identify.
• Get yourself a little address book from a local stationers, put under the various letters, makers names that interest you. All of a sudden you can come across an interesting piece of china in your day to day life, and your book will be useful as your own personal reference guide.

 Ideal Locations for Crockery Collecting

Visit local collectors and antique fairs, as well as being nice to browse round, you will see lots of china and crockery, look at the back stamps the colours and the shapes, most vendors will be only too happy to give you the history and background regarding their goods.

Some of the items and collectors fairs can be expensive, so if you are interested in a particular piece, don’t be afraid to haggle. Look out for opportunities to lower the price if the maker of the crockery is in question or if there are any signs of damage, although personally, I would steer clear of damaged goods.

Don’t get carried away, especially if you are an enthusiast. Come with a specific amount of money and don’t go above that budget. I would avoid bringing my plastic friend. Stick to what cash is in your wallet.

Ideal Charity Shops for China Collecting
   
A good way of starting your crockery collection, is visiting charity shops. I am fortunate to live near a market town that has around 14 charity shops!

High Street towns, rather than city main streets are a good source of charity shops, donators find the act of dropping off their donated goods far easier at their local town high street, than taking them into cities.

• The charities usually have a section set aside for glass and china ware.
• Stick to what appeals to you. Look for unusual shapes and colours.
• Look on the back of the china, is there a back stamp?
• Get a book on china marks, do your homework.
• Also, regular trips to the charity shops will yield unexpected treasures in that there can be a fast turnover of goods.

Best Times to Find Valuable China

During the summer months visiting local car boots can suddenly unearth a real find, don’t be afraid to sort through the boxes that contain all the oddments. That is where you will find the most interesting articles.

Again don’t be afraid to haggle, vendors do not want to take their goods home again.

Beginner’s Tips to Collecting Chinaware

Any avid china collector cannot go far wrong with Ebay, fleamarkets, car boots and charity shops. Unexpected treasures are bound to be unearthed if applying some research. Don’t be afraid to haggle and watch out for damaged goods. There are also plenty of useful guidebooks to collecting china to use as reference.