Blossom and brick

 Hello m' thirsty willows,

 

'Blossom and brick' ... I like how those words collide together. One sits stubbornly steady and reliable... the other is fleeting, fragile. Placed side by side for years upon years, they guard one another and share their little quirks. Would they greatly miss each other? Would they prefer to simultaneously fall into ruin?

Each spring, when the blossom blooms, against a backdrop of bricks, it feels like anything and everything is possible. 

 

Sackville Gardens by the Gay Village, Manchester City Centre (back in 2007)

Where once a northern working men's club stood, lay the remains of my great grandparents house. As I kid I'd pass it on the way to school and skirt along its foundations. I knew which room was which. You see my dad had pointed them out to me, so I could visualise the chairs around the kitchen hearth, tea on the hob, a pie cooking.

This post does not follow that family line; all the historical paperwork hints at heartache and the dreaded workhouse. Those bricks are now hidden beneath a thickly tarmacked carpark and a new block of flats. 

This follows another; a line that affirms my industrial roots, but brings me closer to my adopted Cornish home.

Apple blossom

At school, my friends and I would carry out serious digs at the far end of the playing field. These were the Indiana Jones years after all. You were either an 80s jock or archaeologist. At this time of year, we'd escape under a canopy of pink cherry blossom. 

[Pink cherry blossom on recent outing]

One particular fragment find I recognized instantly - a tiny piece of blue printed, stylized apple blossom. It was part of the Willow Pattern. At home, my mam's treasured willow plates graced the mahogany dresser. Smelling of polish, they were pristine and not to be touched.


The blossom setting and romantic fable, ending with the forbidden lovers death and metamorphosis into doves, drew me in. Some say the pattern is based upon the Japanese fairy tale 'Green Willow'.

 
 
Upon researching my dad's family history a couple of years ago, I landed an intriguing link back to Stoke-on-Trent, where I started seeing 'potter' listed as occupation. One particular potting Poulson, Joseph Poulson (x5 great uncle if the website's suggestions are correct) was in business with none other than Thomas Minton - whose work has been known to excite experts on the Antiques Roadshow. 

Minton is widely credited with popularizing the Willow Pattern. Towards the latter half of the 18th century blue and white china ware had become hugely popular with the masses.Thanks to Staffordshire potter Josiah Spode, a new technique called 'transfer ware' was introduced. This replaced the need for hand painting.

Spode also experimented with china clay and found he could replicate the translucent but durable effect that was required for the nation's tea drinking and dining sensibilities.  One historian thinks Poulson had worked as Spode's works manager, which would explain his technical skill and subsequent quick factory setup. 

Minton, having previously specialised in earthenware, started using Poulson's neighboring china factory. In 1796 a relatively brief but successful partnership was forged, ending with Poulson's death in 1808.

 

It seems that Minton was not only good at spinning plates, but he could spin a good marketing yarn too. Some historians believe he orchestrated many accompanying stories to give the willow design a certain mystique and enduring quality. Well, it seems to have worked, as they are still made today, and the design has never been out of production.

 

On to the Cornish link -

Minton and Poulson had shares in the Hendra Clay Company (formed 1800), with a quarry at St. Dennis. Two other renowned Staffordshire potters were in on the deal - Josiah Wedgewood and William Adams. This combined enterprise allowed them to sell quality china clay (decomposed granite) far and wide, sending it via rail up country and down to Falmouth Port.


The area around St Austell in Cornwall became so synonymous with china clay, that to this day it is referred to as the 'Cornish Alps'. You can see the white, scarred earth on Google Maps -

Here's a funny coincidence... my online blogging friend Vix traced her family tree back to the Adams Potters, meaning our ancestors were in business together ! Vix has delved deeper and found rebellion, beheading and The Lost Gardens of Heligan in her tree! 

SOURCE: a rather lovely article 'Name of mystery pit revealed'  by L.B Hugh

Since I have a growing appreciation of pits, I think a trip up to china clay country will be on the cards. The old Hendra pit has long been flooded and mother nature's big earthy bosoms look over it now (see picture above). 

There is a however a dedicated museum - the Wheal Martyn China Clay Heritage Centre. Of course, the Eden Project's eco biodomes are also situated in an old china clay pit.

Last night I inadvertently invented a new drink called 'Buck's Piss'. It is the usual white wine spritzer, but with added orange juice, to make it look a bit healthy.

I even have a label design, accompanying fable and pit purchase in mind.  Must be those long lost entrepreneurial genes.  Who'd like to buy some shares in the Buck's Piss Pit company then?...

 [Tremough Walled Garden]


 I hope you have a wonderful bank holiday weekend.

Please do say hello if you have stopped by


Lulu xXx

 

 
                   

 [Wisteria on Tremough House]


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Comments

  1. Yes I am a thirsty willow, your bucks piss made me more so (and made me smirk) we have a drink called *ucks bizz which is pretty much the same but with the addition of gin, to give it some wellie. I am so enjoying Vix's family history and it's amazing that you have a connection to each other's families. That blue china looks familiar - we had wallpaper in our house with similar scenes back in the 60s - wasn't it fun as a kid digging up stuff - felt like real treasure had been found and my mum would always go 'oh blimey we've got a bit of antique here' so I would think I had something special!

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    1. Oh yes Betty, *ucks Bizz sounds a little more dangerous! ;) I like it. You can buy willow pattern wallpaper and I think I saw it in a hotel once. Digging up treasure... hours of fun. Your mum was onto something there. Lulu xXx

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  2. I still can't get my head around our ancestors being in business together!
    You made me giggle when you wondered where all the money went. We keep saying the same.
    There was a feature on transfer printing china on an Antiques Road Trip a while ago and I was surprised to see what an intricate process it was especially when the experts are always so sniffy about it.
    I quite fancy a Welsh dresser painted neon pink with an array of Willow pattern china on display.
    Liking the name Buck's Piss (and Betty's alternative) but I laothe orange juice, could we have a grapefruit juice version? If so, I'm in! xxx

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    1. It's mad isn't it Vix! Apparently the early willow pattern didn't have apple blossom, and those are the ones that may be worth more in monetary terms. Neon pink, love it. My mam got rid of her solid mahogany Welsh dresser and plates in a house move, but it would have been great painted. You're getting a bit posh with the grapefruit juice now, but I think we could extend the range. Lulu xXx

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  3. Those Willow Pattern plates took me back to having tea at my grandmother's house. Out would come the Willow plates, cups and saucers along with a freshly baked cake. As a child I was fascinated by the crockery and the story. 'Twas a whole different world but it must have agreed with my grandmother as she lived to 103.

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    1. That sounds lovely Mike, tea and cake on willow plates. What a grand old age your grandmother lived to. I've always suspected cake is good for us. Lulu xXx

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  4. Hi Lulu, Fascinating post. I’m ashamed to say I’m not very familiar with Manchester but having seen a few shows filmed in and around the city, I need to pay it a visit. Love its Victorian architecture. What a coincidence that you also have the potter connection! We have a row of ten houses in Kingswinford, all with Minton tiles in their hallways and porches. I drool over the houses whenever I pass by but unfortunately, over time, the road they are on has become a polluted thoroughfare. Bucks Piss sounds like an excellent beverage - I’m in! xxx

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    1. Thank you Claire. Parts of Manchester's city centre are quite stunning. I especially love the gothic back of the town hall, the Northern Quarter cafes/ bars and moody canals (not so much the canal rats, which are bigger than cats). I spent many weekends in Central Library, City Gallery, Aflecks Palace and too many epic nights out to mention. The Minton tiles sound wonderful. Lulu xXx

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  5. I'll have a bottle or two of your Bucks Piss as soon as lockdown is fully eased :-) In fact I might make a posher version and call it Elderflower piss... so there :-)

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    1. Haha, now that is beyond posh Cherie!!! Next you'll be saying it is to be served with borage ice cubes and a sprig of mint. Lulu xXx

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  6. its so amazing that yours and vix´s ancestors were together in the pottery business!
    thanks for the little trip into the history of that pretty china ware - its interesting how different the fashion was here and there back in time......
    bricks we have here in abundance :-D and the flowers come out too now - the first tulips are blushing!
    happy sunday! xxxxx

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    1. Funny indeed about the potting ancestors Beate. I do love a good red brick, so of course I find your railway house very beautiful. Hurray for the tulips! Happy gardening. Lulu xXx

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  7. What a beautiful willow pattern plate. I particularly like its blue and white colour scheme. There is something about the combination of blue and white that is very appealing to me. I'm not familiar with the Green Willow story, I will look it up.
    How lovely your ancestors were in pottery business with Vix's ancestors. This world is a small place. :)

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    1. Thanks Ivana :) They plates were considered a bit naff for a while, but they seem to back in a kitsch, nostalgic sort of way. There were many blue and white designs around that time, lots showing English landscapes too, but none with the same hook of the willow story. Lulu xXx

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  8. We always used to find bits of willow pattern china on our school field when we dug around! Ah, I have such happy childhood memories of the school field! Sigh...
    How funny about yours and Vix's ancestors! I love that cherry blossom tree you photographed. Our two trees at school are in flower at the moment and I see childrenw with handfuls of the blossoms at the moment. A really sweet thing happened on Tuesday last week as one of the year 6 boys (one who is always getting into trouble, swearing etc..though very clever) came into my music lesson and presented me with a single pink blossom as a present! I was very touched!

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    1. Ah! It makes me wonder what happened on these school fields in the past - mass willow plate spinning / smashing parties maybe? I seem to see a lot of pink blossom trees in school yards. I wonder if it was the go-to tree of a certain era. It is great fun for the kids when they start to 'snow'. What a sweet moment of your cheeky lad student to gift you some blossom. Lulu xXx

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  9. Oh I love this. I have been following Vix' ancestry trail and I love how you are linked. Very poetic opening about the brick and blossom. I love it. X

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    1. Thank you Jane, very kind of you. Mam just says I'm 'mad'.
      Now I can say, "I'm not mad, I'm poetic" :) Lulu xXx

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  10. You and vix in business together fancy that!! Now that would be a team to recon with!!
    My son has the Manchester worker bee tattooed on his arm as he lost a friend who was working at the Ariande grande concert as a barman it hit him hard.
    I love Manchester if we are ever in the UK which might be sooner than we think due to Paul’s dad I might pop into Manchester but not the Trafford centre I cannot stand that place.
    I love the willow pattern, I have a teacup I drink from in that pattern. We have an apple blossom and Paul always gets excited when he sees the blossoms.
    I love apple trees. They always make me happy keep safe and be well.

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    1. Oh, the Ariande concert bomb was just awful. Very sad that your son lost his drear friend in that. My friends and I went to so many gigs there when we were young, so I know the arena well. I've heard there's a big bee sculpture now in the city centre. I think you are best to avoid the Trafford Centre :0 The centre is much much nicer. Enjoy your apple blossom Allie jane and take care. Lulu xXx

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