Christine's Story

"Our family over the years has had a lot of connection to the pottery industry going back to the 20's which was Tommy Dunn, he was my brother in law's dad and he was the blacksmith on Spode. During the war he served his time shoeing horses on the front line he returned to Spode and carried on until he died. Working alongside him were his two sons. We all worked in the industry. My brother in law had five brothers, two sisters and two sister in laws. I had two sisters, two uncles, one aunt, two cousins, my husband and three sons working alongside us. The pot's really were a family affair. When anyone say's we were all family there was never a truer word.

I started to work in 1965 at the age of 15, I did 1 1/2 days on Champion bakery the money was good but i hated it. My older sister got friend and myself a job on Spode, my friend in the print shop and myself in the cup shop. From the moment I started I loved it, the people, the smell of the clay. You had to work a type of apprenticeship known as becoming a journey-woman this went on until you reached 20. I was very fortunate that this finished altogether when i was 18. We were very fortunate to meet lots of celebrities, including royalty! The cup shop and flat shop Windows overlooked Kingsway. Worker's would climb on their benches to see who was arriving. The blacksmith's shop where Tommy Dunn worked is still standing on the Spode carpark. The anvil was moved to the museum area. His so Frank was known as a striker.

 Wooden boards with clay mugs on these were carried on the shoulder to a stillage. The galvanised buckets on the benches had to be changed regularly in winter when it was icy, you came into a frozen bucket happy days!

My brother in law Peter worked in the colour shop, he was responsible for all the colours used in printing, underglaze and the gold for guilding. This shop is still there, it's situated above one of the many mould chambers, this chamber had lovely arched brick ceilings.

Spode was not exempt from troubles and the ups and downs of all the industries. There were strikes which split families and friends but we weathered the storm. When work was low you were sent to other departments, which was good as you picked up other trades. I started work as a cup handler then became forewoman in the cup shop later transferring to the White china department as team leader, this was another job I loved. My older sister Marg was a counter in White china. My sister Ann finished up as a tour guide. Margaret started to work when she was 15 and retired when she was 60 completing 45 unbroken years service. Ann did mixed years and I did 35 years. When I first started you could take a tin of soup to the kiln men and they would put them in the little holes down the side of the kiln (dinner sorted). One kiln man used to breed budgies when they died he would send them through the kiln to cremate them and there was a little service for them. When I started work there were fourteen cup handlers, six cup makers, two cup scollopers, seven spongers , four handle fettlers, two handle cutters, seven cup turners and six overlookers. By the time mechanisation took over there was a quarter of the workforce. Christmas time was very special on factories we had gifts ranging from hampers, turkeys and cigarettes, which as you can imagine they were very appreciated. There was also ware sales seconds and best which enabled you to build up a collection, happy days, very happy!"

-Christine Chapman