THREE thousand miles is a long way to travel for a family reunion, but former Wedgwood employees Roy and Lynda Porter had not seen most members of their 'family' for more than 30 years.

The couple, who live in Toronto in Canada, were among 40 ex-employees from Wedgwood in London who gathered for a reunion at the Wedgwood Museum in Barlaston yesterday.

Wedgwood's London office, described as its embassy to the world, closed down 25 years ago, and up until yesterday that was the last time many of its staff members had seen each other.

People came to the reunion from across the UK and Europe, but nobody travelled further than Roy and Lynda.

Roy, who was born in Shelton, started working in the pottery industry at the age of 15 in 1946, as an assistant clay manager on £1.25 a week.

Later he secured a job at Wedgwood, thanks mainly to the fact that his father, Charlie Porter, was well known there. He was eventually transferred to the London office, where he worked during the 1960s.

Roy, aged 78, said: "My job was to call at all embassies in London for Wedgwood. I visited the Kuwaiti embassy, the South African embassy and all the High Commissions.

"People have said the London office was like a big family, and I wouldn't disagree with that at all. It's been around 36 years since I've seen most of the people in this room."

In the early 1970s, Roy visited Canada to help secure a deal for commemorative pottery with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and soon afterwards he transferred permanently to Wedgwood's Toronto office. He has lived there ever since, with his wife Lynda, who also worked in the London office.

Lynda, aged 61, said: "The fact that so many have come to this reunion, from so far, speaks not only of the friendships we built up over the years, but also of the pride we have having worked for Wedgwood.

"It's been interesting seeing how people have been going around the museum and seeing items that mean something to them."

Wedgwood's office and showroom in London's West End helped the firm build on its enviable global reputation as the supplier of pottery to kings, queens and presidents.

Former workers from many of the Wedgwood Group's companies, such as Coalport and Midwinter, also attended, as did staff from the Wedgwood Rooms, and press and PR departments.

They were joined at the reunion by the former London office manager Sir Arthur Bryan, who went on to become the chairman of Wedgwood.

Sir Arthur, aged 87, of Barlaston, said: "It is really good to see the group of people that helped continue the Wedgwood traditions in the London offices and showroom."

The reunion was organised by Henry Katnik, who worked in the London office from 1973 until its closure in 1984.

Henry, aged 56, of High Wycombe, said: "It's because of email that this reunion has been such a success. If we'd had to send letters to everyone we probably would not have had as many replies, but we managed to get in touch with around 100 people.

"Although some people could not attend due to distance or ill-health, considering this was this was the first time we've tried this it's been tremendous.

"We called it a friendship reunion more than a Wedgwood reunion, because it's a gathering of old friends who were all based in the Wedgwood office in London."