INTERNATIONAL pottery fanatics have been enjoying a holiday in the Potteries to mark 250 years of Wedgwood.

Official celebrations may have been marred by the company's fall into administration, job losses and outsourcing at the hands of its new American owners.

But the U.S., Australian and Canadian tourists have been determined to commemorate the founding of Josiah Wedgwood's first factory.

The visitors, all members of the Wedgwood International Seminar, are spending a week in the Potteries visiting factories, the Wedgwood Museum and attending lectures.

The 55-strong party all share a passion for pottery and are avid collectors and investors in Wedgwood.

President Earl Buckman, aged 69, who lives in Dallas, said: "We came here to see the Wedgwood Museum and we were all really pleased with it. There has always been a lot of interest in Wedgwood in the States from around the 1950s. It is very collectable.

"We want to enhance our knowledge of the life of Josiah Wedgwood and the works from the great factory he founded 250 years ago."

The group are staying at Etruria's Moat House Hotel as it is built on the site of Josiah Wedgwood's home – Etruria Hall – and it is also close to where he built his factory.

Frank Brookes, pictured left, who worked as a master potter at Wedgwood from 1976 until 1981, has set up an exhibition at the hotel to coincide with the visit.

The 64-year-old used to travel the world with his potter's wheel giving demonstrations as an ambassador for Wedgwood.

Mr Brookes, who lived in America for 23 years before returning to the Potteries to live in Blurton, said: "Some of them I have known for 30 years from when I worked for Wedgwood, so it's like meeting old friends.

"Others I have not met before. They come from such diverse places like Virginia, Texas and Massachusetts. It's nice to think that people really appreciate Wedgwood pottery.

"It's like going back to my roots to have an exhibition of my Wedgwood work."

Mr Brookes added: "It's terrible what's happened to Wedgwood – it's sad the local associations are being lost."

Carol and Alan Pierce, from San Marino in California, have been collecting Wedgwood for more than 30 years after taking a liking to a neighbour's ceramics collection.

Mr Pierce, aged 76, said: "I like collecting pieces and knowing who the artist was. There are some fantastic pieces and you can find out about the artists at the wonderful Wedgwood museum."

Mrs Pierce, aged 75, said: "It is a shame what has happened at Wedgwood. There has always been a lot of people in the U.S. who really appreciate and collect it.

"Our daughter lives in the south of England and we used to go around the village fairs, searching out pieces of Wedgwood. We used to find a lot, but over the years, we have found less and less."

Related links: