China Piece Gift

My Mother began collecting China, piece by piece, to gift a 12 piece set upon my 21st birthday. The China has been in use every Christmas since my wedding at 24, just under 60 years ago. My Mother worked at the Royal Daulton factory doing a mans job after her husband sustained a fall injury. Her job included towing and carrying vitreous ware to the bottle neck klins, a plank on each shoulder steadied by the upside down hand.

At this time women were often pressured and forced out of work upon marriage (know as the marriage bar) so she showed that she was just as equipped to do the job as a man during a highly gender segregated industry and workforce.

My Grandma influenced me because when we couldn’t afford the mortgage I had to work. If I didn’t know my relatives had done that thing I might’ve stayed at home because that’s what women did and were expected to do. That’s why these things are valuable to me, but I wouldn’t get anything for them. when i lay out this China set it brings back out all those Christmas memories with my Mum, Dad, family and the grandchildren that have arrived in between

I would feel very sad if It broke because its very precious and I value it tremendously. I feel sad because if I wanted to sell it I couldn’t because nobody wants China.