" In England, just after World War II , pressure was brought to bear
on manufacturers to start new industries in areas of the United Kingdom
that were described as "depressed." That was where unemployment was
high. My husband and I had already made plans to leave the UK for a
new life in California and my husband already had a job lined up so
it was much against my wishes when my husband was persuaded by my father
to purchase a factory for him in Northern Ireland and then establish
and organize the new business. So from 1946, just after World War II,
until 1964, I worked in the Province alongside my husband. Team building
was his specialty, and, because of his talent, we were able to steer
quite a happy ship through the always troubled waters of the British
part of Ireland. My husband taught me to respect other people's opinions,
whatever their class, colour, creed or country, regardless of whether
one actually liked or agreed with them or not and I believe I taught
him that the female of the species is often a lot more intuitive than
the male! The Irish branch of the Wade Group of Potteries was established
purely for the manufacture of electrical porcelain insulators. The highly
technical making of these had no artistic appeal or interest for me,
but very soon after we arrived in what turned out be an unexpectedly
foreign country, we were hit by an almighty slump. New housing came
to a standstill, government contracts were cancelled, it was depression
time again, especially for people whose hopes had so recently been raised.
In Northern Ireland, brand new machinery stood idle. 'Could we possibly
use it to make something ornamental, like the little animals I had in
a Noah's Ark as a child?' I inquired tentatively. The gathering of snooty
English top executives from the parent company's various branches raised
their eyes to heaven and sighed collectively, obviously wishing that
the bosses' daughter, wife and sister had stayed home. I quailed, but
suddenly 'Pourquois Pas?' beamed my father! 'Why Not?' echoed my husband
and br other, Tony. And so, through the naivety and ignorance of Wade's
newest, brashest associate, we hit on a product that restarted our industrial
engines and which every child in the UK wanted to collect." "They were
christened Whimsies and were all stamped 'Wade, England' to the great
umbrage of the Irish plant, which had been rescued from near oblivion
by making the even numbered sets. Teams of teenagers sat at conveyor
belts. One applied colour to one side, another coloured the next side,
another the base and so on. Sometimes there were teams of four or five
girls per miniature, the last one especially chosen for her tiny hands,
to put in the tiny eyes! They sang as they painted. They were happy.
One former 'teen' now in her sixties wrote when my husband died, to
send me photos of figurines she'd painted over the years. 'How I loved
my job when you two were there. We all loved our work so much that even
if we had the flu we wouldn't take time off. It was the best factory
in Ireland!" 