|
The
Burgess & Leigh factory in Stoke on Trent has been falling into decline
for many years and finally the company itself went into receivership in
August of last year. The future for the site, which backs onto a canal,
contains all the original Victorian machinery and many other secrets -
including one of the last surviving bottle kiln looked bleak.
Rosemary
and William Dorling had a little shop in the front room of their home
in Winchester and frequently visited Burgess & Leigh to purchase wares,
particularly the blue and white calico range, for their business. Rosemary
explains, "On a trip up there in August the security guard told us that
the factory was closing and said that someone had to save it. All the
offers had to be in to the receiver on August 10 and we spent ages writing
to the National Trust, English Heritage and even Prince Charles trying
to get someone to do something. In the ned on August 6 with just £400
in the bank we decided that we had to have it and save it for everyone
to enjoy."
Liaising
with the receiver the couple went to their bank manager and remortgaged
their home, borrowed extra cash from family and friends and made their
offer which was accepted. Rosemary adds, "We only offered what we could
afford and wondered whether we had offered enough, but we got it and didn't
regret it for a moment. I've learnt that if you're not brave in life you
never have much of a life and people here have been wonderful helping
us out."
Aid has come in many forms, from Royal Doulton sending equipment to help,
staff offering to carry out repair works and local people just popping
in with cakes and a drop of wartime spirit to encourage the family onwards
and upwards. The Dorlings may have bought the factory, but they had no
working capital so the business had to be turned around and orders taken
immediately. Not that this has compromised the level of quality brought
to the work.
It's
a unique experience arriving at Burgess & Leigh. The old gates creak open
to reveal a courtyard complete with the original Victorian notices to
staff. The office retains its stained glass windows along with an art
nouveau staircase. Inside the original mahogany clerical desks, cupboards
and stacks of ledgers and files are piled up as they would have been 100
years ago. Rosemary's office is the old partners' office and walking into
her room is like arriving back home after a long journey to a familiar
comfort and security. The original fireplace and an art deco leather chair
are still in place as they would have been when the partners' arrived
for work chilled by the winter air, and one of the partner's overcoats
still hangs in the corner untouched since the 1920s. Two large desks fill
the room along with an old safe, tall mahogany bookcase and books and
books showing the various ranges that Burgess & Leigh produced. The ink
on the pages may be dry but notes written years ago in fine fountain pen
confirming an order or outlining the price look as though they were written
yesterday. Old bottles of ink, an air raid helmet and other paraphenalia
are scattered about left by Rosemary as they were when she found them.
Clearly
enchanted by the factory's history and the names that worked there Rosemary's
enthusiasm is catching enough, but the Burgess & Leigh factory commands
a respect of its own, "This factory breathes", says Rosemary "I think
it's all the years of creativity and people who've worked here. Lots of
the local people who used to work here or whose family worked here recall
it as being a very nice place to work. Edmund Leigh who died in 1926 I
believe was a real visionary and provided a bathroom for his workers among
other radical moves he undertook for his workers."
The Victorian bathroom which has long been bricked up but is due to be
reopened as part of the Dorling's renovation plans consists of a large
Victorian bath and eight basins. Leigh's picture still hangs on the wall
in the main office inspiring the Dorling's to pursue their dream in the
way he did when building nearby workers cottages and accommodation for
his lower class workers in his day.
Many
parts of the factory remain derelict and Rosemary admits that she still
has not been in all the rooms but demands of business are such that production
is up and running already. The clay is still drawn into the factory from
the canalside. In the old days, the barges themselves would have pulled
up with the clay from Cornwall and waited patiently while a huge Steam
Wheel provided the energy by which the clay would be pulled into the factory.
Today the Steam Wheel from 1888 remains in tact. Although covered in dust
and grime, it's clear that the bright red and green paint remains underneath
the years of dirt waiting to be cleaned and put back to work. Rosemary
adds, "We didn't realise what we had, but an architect who saw the huge
circular brickwork from outside said straightaway that they must have
been a steam engine inside. Apparently it's a typical sign that a steam
wheel has been installed spotting the circular brickwork as the only way
to install the wheel was by removing the bricks to get it in. As far as
I know it was working up until 1974 and we plan to get it working again."
Until then electricity ensures that the clay is pumped into the factory
where it is turned into slip. Huge tiles proudly shout Middleport Factory
which was the name of the factory originally as it was the model factory
and deemed extremely avant garde in its day. A special press, another
piece of original Victorian machinery presses the slip to expell unwanted
water and it is dried in sheets from which it can be modelled into the
various products. Downstairs, Maggie is busy applying handles to mugs,
"I use a technique called pegging which means each handle is properly
applied and trimmed so that it is smooth. There aren't many factories
that still use that technique today because it's not seen as being cost
effective, but I love what I do and it's lovely working here with Rose."
Whereas most factories would expect people like Maggie to produce 400
dozen cups a day, she now completes 40 dozen a day adding a level of quality
to the range long since lost to other companies.
Upstairs,
John the modeller is busy reviving and discovering what each of 6,000
moulds held within the Burgess & Leigh factory have to offer. The mould
room which took John two years at weekends to catalogue is enourmous and
many of the moulds tucked into the back of the roof have not seen the
light of day since the 1800s. It's an erie place and John believes there
are ghosts to be found within the room, but if there are they must be
friendly because there's not feeling of intimidation just years and years
of modelling talent preserved for posterity. A successful run and order
for the Burgess & Leigh Bamboo range from Japan has enabled John to model
his own little addition, "The buyers wanted to have a rice bowl that would
complement the tea set, so I've modelled a new shape but used the pattern
and designs." he says.
A 100 foot high mangle installed in 1888 still operates onto which the
ware is placed and travels up and down this huge height on the mange for
drying. And the original calico pattern is still made on the old machinery.
A blue chintz-like design, two craftsmen clean the rolling drum that is
carved with the pattern before applying the blue paint across the drum.
Tissue paper is fed through the mangle - a clearly skilled job given its
delicacy, and lined up so that the pattern is applied to the tissue paper.
Still wet, the paper moves along a piece of string to the ladies who then
apply it to the body of the cups. Another covers it in soap and a third
then removes the soap by which time the pattern is clearly imprinted and
the pieces are ready for firing.
The
first wares under the Dorling's ownership to be released have been the
recreated 1930s Ernest Bailey jugs. Many of these fetch thousands at auction
including the Guardsman, Cricketer and Golfer. Each is now cast from the
original moulds and once again hand painted. Rosemary explains, "We've
had a lot of interest in the Cricketer and Golfer and of course the Tennis
player given the number of national tournaments and interest in these
sports. Each jug costs £110, although the Guardsman may be slightly more
given the extra work. We're not making them in limited editions per se
because we want everyone to be able to enjoy them, but we will do special
colourways of certain jugs for those who join the Friends of Burleigh
club."
.jpg)
The
most recent adventure has been the discovery and first firing of the Mayflower
jug which is an enourmous piece made in 1953 to mark both the Coronation
and the landing of the Mayflower. Rosemary explains, "Within the jug there
is a separate mould for the Queen's head and we spent six weeks looking
for it. By chance one of the girls, Brigette was in the hairdressers and
explaining our dilemma. As it turned out the hairdresser was related to
Ernest Bailey and she had an original jug from which we could take another
mould. The next day we found the original mould - isn't that strange."
Since then, Ernest Bailey's son has come forward to reveal that when the
original Burleigh Ware gates were replaced in the 1940s his father saved
the originals and took them home. They are now going to be restored and
placed where they should be - at the factory entrance.
A
factory cafe with shelves of goodies and collectables is already underway
and in April the Dorlings plan to get a barge, fill it with Burleigh Ware
and take the canal trip to London to promote the factory. In the meantime,
the Friends of Burleigh Guild is to be launched on February 14 costing
£15 a year for membership with 10% off the factory shop and special colourways
for members only. There's no doubt that Rosemary, William, Simon and daughter
Susannah deserve support from collectors everywhere for risking everything
to preserve one of the most important "collectables" this country's potting
history has to offer. Various items from the factory including a range
of pattern books, sketches by Charlotte Rhead, brochures, furniture, drums
for printing patterns, original salesmen samples and much more will be
on display when the factory opens to visitors. A trip is a must!
Some patterns from the archive:
Water Jugs & Bowls; Teapots; Various
Related
Burleigh Ware History